


Servants to Our Crown

by persephoneggsy



Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: Arranged Marriage AU, Eggsy's is Brogue, Harry is the king of nervous dorks, Harry's kingdom is Oxford, M/M, Mutual Pining, Royalty AU, Slow Burn, and Eggsy is the most stubborn prince ever, fight me, like the slowest of burns, rating might go up tbh i'm not sure
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-14
Updated: 2016-02-07
Packaged: 2018-03-30 05:52:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 40,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3925291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/persephoneggsy/pseuds/persephoneggsy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The kingdoms of Oxford and Brogue have been in a constant state of conflict for as long as anyone can remember. But in an attempt to start an era of peace, a deal has been made. The fighting will stop once the two kingdoms have made an alliance through the strongest bond there is; marriage. King Harry of Oxford is set to wed Prince Gary of Brogue. All in all, a very diplomatic solution.</p><p>Only, Eggsy doesn’t think it’s fair at all.</p><p>(Also posted on tumblr)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I just meant to post the idea on tumblr how did it snowball into this

The atmosphere in the carriage was tense, to say the least. Its two occupants, one older man and one younger, obviously related due to their similar faces, sat opposite each other. The younger man had his arms crossed, and was glaring out the window with such intensity it was a surprise that the glass had not melted under his stare. The older man, whose face was worn with age and exasperation, watched the younger with a small frown. They were an hour into their journey, and the younger man had worn the same expression the entire way through; it did not seem like he was going to let it drop anytime soon.

The older man decided to risk asking. “Are you going to be like this the entire way?”

“Yes,” was the curt reply.

He sighed, shoulders sagging. “I thought you were okay with this, Eggsy.”

The younger man, Eggsy, huffed. “I agreed to this… _union_ because you gave me no other choice. That doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it.”

“Then tell me, son,” the older man glowered, “what would _you_ have suggested?”

“I…” Eggsy faltered, but his gaze remained fixed on the window. “I don’t know! Boundary negotiations, army compromises, anything but _this!”_

He spared Eggsy a sympathetic smile. “This is the most common and diplomatic way of ensuring peace, Eggsy. And besides, you’re a prince; you were going to get engaged to someone sooner or later. Why not the King of Oxford?”

That finally caused Eggsy to look away, his glare now redirected at his father, who flinched.

“Because you gave me no warning! You returned from your ‘negotiations’ and told me I was suddenly engaged, to some man I’ve never met, who’s twice my age, and who’s the king of the country our kingdom has been fighting with for _years!”_ Eggsy’s father had the decency to look ashamed, as his son finished his rant with a shuddering sigh. “This isn’t fair, Father,” he whispered.

“I know, my boy, and I’m so sorry things had to turn out this way.” He looked genuinely saddened, and Eggsy felt marginally better. “But being a prince means that you do everything in your power to help your people. And, for what it’s worth…” He reached over and placed his hand gently atop Eggsy’s. The younger man was still scowling, but his eyes softened. “While my interactions with King Harry have been… limited, I can tell you this; he is a good man. He would never harm or do anything untoward to you.”

When his hand squeezed Eggsy’s, his son exhaled through his nose. “Okay, okay… I’ll do my best to be civil. Happy?”

His father smiled and leaned back. “It’s all I ask, Eggsy.”

Eggsy managed a tiny smile before he looked away, again staring out the window. The hills and trees of Brogue were passing by quickly, and the young prince’s heart suddenly ached to go back to the castle. To see his mother, who had been equally furious at the marriage’s announcement, and to his little sister, who was too young to understand the sadness in her father’s eyes, nor the fury in her brother and mother’s. But it was too late to turn back. Within a few days, they would arrive in the sprawling capital city of Oxford, King Harry’s kingdom.

And then Eggsy’s life as he knew it would be over.

 

* * *

 

The sun was just beginning to set when they finally arrived at Oxford’s capital. Eggsy would admit that it was an impressive city, with its stone walls and beautiful castle. But then the dread settled in his gut again when he realized that he was not here as an observer; that beautiful castle was to be his future home, and suddenly it looked very much like a prison.

When their carriage halted in front of the castle, they were quickly escorted inside by a pair of Oxford knights, dressed in the resplendent black-and-gold colors of their kingdom’s crest. There was little pomp or circumstance to their arrival, as the marriage was generally being kept a secret until Eggsy had safely made it; which was just as well, since Eggsy did not feel like having to endure the scrutinizing gazes of Oxford’s people.

They were shown into a lavishly decorated space, obviously some sort of sitting room, and the knights promised that King Harry had been informed of their arrival. He was currently in a meeting, but he would come as soon as he was able to greet them. The knights departed soon after, leaving Eggsy- or Prince Gary, as he had been addressed- and King Lee alone to wait.

The silence between them, much like it had been in the carriage, was tense. Finally, after a few minutes (that felt like hours to the prince), Lee spoke.

“It’s a very beautiful palace,” he offered.

Eggsy huffed. “A gilded cage.”

“Oh come now, Eggsy,” admonished Lee. “Please try to lighten up a little before King Harry arrives.”

He sent his father a petulant glare, but deep down he knew he was right. It would do very little good for the alliance if King Harry’s first impression of his husband-to-be was that he was a dour and immature child. So Eggsy, however reluctantly, schooled his features into an expression of neutrality as the door to the room opened.

A total of four men walked inside. Two of them were the same guards who had accompanied Lee and Eggsy into the castle, but the other two were strangers, at least to the prince. One was bald, wearing dark blue robes bearing Oxford’s crest- a golden sword and shield. The other was presumably King Harry himself, if his heavy jeweled crown was any indication. And…

Oh.

As King Harry and King Lee approached each other with formal greetings, Eggsy was allowed time to marvel at his new fiancé. He was certainly… well, not what he’d expected. Upon hearing that King Harry was just recently turning fifty, Eggsy immediately thought of some ornery, out-of-shape old man, much to the chagrin of his father (“I’m barely younger than this man, Eggsy, for god’s sake.”), but the man before him now was quite the opposite of that vision.

He stood tall and proud, as every king should, his elegantly-tailored clothes adding to this regal effect. He sported a full head of hair, brunette with touches of gray here and there, though it was somewhat matted down by the crown. And his face hardly bore the signs of age- that is to say, King Harry did indeed have wrinkles, but they were soft and barely noticeable, and in Eggsy’s mind, they were rather… distinguished. Even the faint crow’s lines that surrounded the king’s brown eyes did nothing to detract from his handsomeness.

For that is what King Harry was, plain and simple: handsome. Eggsy supposed he should have been relieved, but he was quickly brought out of his musing by his father.

“And of course, allow me to introduce my son; Gary?” Lee turned expectantly to Eggsy, who, to his credit, barely startled, and stood to acknowledge the room’s new occupants.

Eggsy fought to keep himself under control. He bowed deeply and formally, keeping his voice even as he spoke, though he hadn’t looked the king in the eye. “King Harry,” was all he said; it was all he could trust himself to say.

Keeping his eyes fixed to the ground, he didn’t see his betrothed’s expression. It could have been a calculating, cold stare for all Eggsy knew. When he finally did risk looking up, King Harry had a warm, if practiced, smile on his face- the prince’s traitorous heart _stuttered._

“It’s lovely to meet you, Prince Gary,” he said, his voice low and rich, and accented so crisply. He turned to the bald man behind him. “This is my advisor, Lord Merlin. He’ll be the one to show you around Oxford when I am absent, and he will also take over as your tutor.”

Eggsy looked at the newly-identified Merlin and nodded genially. Merlin seemed to accept this gesture, as he smiled in reply, and Eggsy felt like he’d passed some sort of test.

King Harry continued. “And these two,” he gestured to the two knights, “are Sirs Lancelot and Percival. Until we can assign you a proper Kingsman to guard you, they will alternate as your bodyguards.”

For a moment, Eggsy felt the stirrings of offense broil underneath his skin, but he quickly shrugged off the sentiment. The closest thing he’d had to a personal bodyguard back in Brogue were his friends, Ryan and Jamal, both squires to two of his father’s knights. They’d never left his side, so King Lee never thought it necessary to assign the Crown Prince a full-time guard.

Of course things would be different in Oxford.

So he nodded to Lancelot and Percival in the same way he had to Merlin, and the knights bowed their heads in respect.

“Thank you for your kindness,” he said, making sure to sound as hollow as possible. It made the King of Oxford raise an eyebrow, and Lee barely managed to avoid rolling his eyes.

King Harry didn’t comment on it, however. “You must be tired from your journey. Lancelot and Percival will show you to your chambers. I understand that King Lee is to leave in the morning?”

Eggsy was unable to hide his shock. His head whipped around to stare at his father, who shrugged sheepishly.

“I must hurry back to Brogue,” he said apologetically, mostly to Eggsy. “We have preparations of our own to make.”

“Of course,” said King Harry.

Lancelot and Percival had stepped forwards, obviously expecting Eggsy to follow them. But the prince stayed rooted in place, watching his father with accusatory eyes. Lee sighed and faced his son.

“I will be back soon, my boy,” he promised. “In time for the wedding. And I will see you before I leave tomorrow.”

Eggsy grit his teeth, but his eyes were beginning to water. He nodded once, and then turned on his heel to leave the room, prompting the knights to follow. He did not look back, lest he see his father’s conflicted expression once more.

He brushed past King Harry with only a hair’s breadth of space between them, but he did not dare look at the man, not when he was already feeling so on edge. So he continued on, allowing Lancelot and Percival to lead him through the foreign corridors of the palace that was to be his new home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is pretty much Chapter 1 but from Harry's perspective

Harry had never been a nervous man. Yes, he’d fought in battles, bore the responsibilities of king at a young age, and braved the utter nightmare that was the politics of court, but not once during any of that had he ever been nervous.

Of course, this made his current ordeal that much harder to deal with.

When he had been informed that King Lee and Prince Gary had arrived, and were now waiting for him, Harry had been in the middle of a meeting. Some noble wanting more land for one reason or another, Harry couldn’t remember. What he _could_ remember was his hand suddenly gripping his pen tighter, his breath coming out in quicker intervals, and his heart pounding like he’d just done a month’s worth of sword training in an hour. Small signs, mostly, but anyone who knew the King of Oxford well enough could spot them. And fortunately for Harry, he and Merlin had been best friends since they were children.

His advisor ended the meeting swiftly, promising the noble that they would think about his proposal before he ushered the king out of the room.

Lancelot and Percival were waiting outside for them. Once he knew that they were the only four in the corridor, Harry spoke, his voice uncharacteristically shaky.

“So… He’s here.”

Percival nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty. Prince Gary and King Lee are waiting in the sitting room in the East Hall.” The knight, while usually stoic, had a small amount of empathy in his expression as he regarded his king.

“I see. We shall go to them posthaste.”

Harry and Merlin led the way, with Lancelot and Percival respectfully following behind. It was Merlin who spoke next, as they turned down one corridor into another.

“My god, Harry, do something about that face of yours, please. You look as though you’re going to a funeral.”

Harry blinked; he hadn’t even realized his expression looked so grim. But indeed, a cursory glance at a passing mirror confirmed Merlin’s observation- the line of Harry’s mouth was drawn into a small, hesitant frown, and his brow was furrowed with obvious worry. The king coughed into his fist.

“Ah… Yes. Thank you, Merlin. I suppose I am a bit nervous.”

“A bit?” Merlin chuckled. “You weren’t even this bad when you went to your first ball.”

“This is hardly a ball, Merlin,” he retorted. Still, a small smile graced the ruler’s features. He always felt better with a bit of banter from his friend.

“You needn’t be so anxious, Your Majesty,” called Lancelot from behind them. The knight wore a cheeky grin, as per usual. “Prince Gary is quite different from the expectations you were so worried about.”

At that, Harry raised an eyebrow. Indeed, when the idea of marriage was first proposed (by none other than Merlin himself; Harry wasn’t quite sure when he would finally forgive him for that), the King of Oxford immediately asked for the Prince of Brogue’s age… He was twenty-three, more than half Harry’s own age. So of course, Harry could not help but picture a young, brattish man, still green to the whole idea of politics and battle, someone spoiled rotten by a life of luxury. It was not an appealing image for a fiancé, he’d admit.

But Lancelot’s comment intrigued him, so he pressed. “How so?”

“Well, for starters, he’s _quite_ the attractive young man.” Lancelot wiggled his eyebrow in a manner that would have gotten anyone else landed in the stocks; as it was, Harry was quite used to the knight’s bursts of inappropriate behavior. Percival rolled his eyes from beside his companion, and Merlin smiled sardonically.

“Is that something you should say with your husband right next to you?” the advisor teased.

“Oh, Percy doesn’t mind. As long as I only admire from afar, right darling?”

“Do shut up, _dear,”_ came Percival’s muttered response, but one could not deny the fondness hiding in his tone.

It made Lancelot laugh, even as he redirected his attention back to Harry. “Anyway, Your Majesty, Prince Gary certainly seems older than his twenty-three years. And from what little interaction we’ve had so far with him, he seems neither haughty nor arrogant.”

Harry hummed. “Can you concur, Percival?”

A nod. “Yes, Sire. In fact, I’d say the Prince of Brogue is rather… withdrawn.”

“ _Percival_ finding someone withdrawn?” Lancelot gaped. “I thought the day would never come!”

Both Harry and Merlin heard the distinctive _thwap_ of a hand hitting the back of someone’s head _,_ followed by a grunt-laugh that could only have been uttered by Lancelot. They both smiled and continued down the corridor, where the sitting room was now within sight.

Despite his friends’ reassurances, Harry still felt apprehension grip him as they drew closer. But he supposed he would just have to make his judgements by himself, and so he held his head high and entered the room.

King Lee was immediately recognizable, having met him several times before at their little negotiations. He wore the blue-and-silver brocade of his kingdom’s colors, his silver crown a tad more modest than Harry’s golden one. Harry saw out of the corner of his eye a figure by the King of Brogue, and he knew that it must be Prince Gary. But he fought to keep his eyes on King Lee to offer his greetings.

“Harry,” Lee said politely, dipping his head deeply in respect. Harry did the same, smiling at his guest.

“Lee. I trust you had a safe journey?”

“No complications at all. Though there may have been a pothole or two on the road.”

Harry chuckled. “We shall look into that.”

“Michelle and my little Daisy send their regards,” he continued. “And of course, allow me to introduce my son; Gary?”

He turned, and so did Harry, allowing the older king to finally get a good look at his future husband.

Were Harry a lesser man, his jaw would have dropped.

Prince Gary was… well, for lack of a better word, _beautiful._ He was young, to be sure, but his chiseled jaw was set with the determination of someone beyond his years, and peridot eyes observed Harry evenly, betraying nothing except perhaps curiosity on the young man’s behalf. Soft blonde hair that must have come from Queen Michelle (for it did not match King Lee’s brunette locks) rested on the young man’s head, underneath a smaller crown that was similar to his father’s. He wore a simple blue coat over a silvery-white shirt, making him seem like some sort of godly Prince of the Night, even as he bowed his head in deference to the older man.

“King Harry,” he said, keeping his head down. Harry blinked a few times, still in awe of the prince’s beauty. He could feel Merlin’s penetrating gaze on his back, however, so he quickly composed himself and gave a smile to his betrothed.

“It’s lovely to meet you, Prince Gary,” he replied kindly, and then turned his head to introduce Merlin. Gary had responded to the advisor with a dutiful nod, a gesture that Merlin appreciated; at first, they feared that the young prince would be offended at the notion of having a new tutor, but it was necessary for him to learn about Oxford and its customs, and Merlin was the perfect man for the job. To see Gary react so calmly was a comfort to Harry’s nerves.

Then, when he introduced Percival and Lancelot, he thought he saw a faint twitch of annoyance, but to his credit, Gary covered it beautifully, and said little more than “Thank you for your kindness,” in a voice that sounded purposely resentful. It certainly caused an eyebrow to rise on Harry’s part.

“You must be tired from your journey,” he decided to say, instead of commenting on the boy’s tone. “Lancelot and Percival will show you to your chambers. I understand that King Lee is to leave in the morning?” He’d directed the last statement at the older of the two, though he didn’t miss the way Gary suddenly startled. He finally looked his age, frightened like a child who’s lost his father, which, in a way, he practically was. Harry felt a small twinge of sympathy for him before he assured himself that such a sacrifice was necessary. And besides that, it wasn’t as if Lee and Gary were never going to see each other again.

That didn’t stop the King of Brogue from sending his son an apologetic look, even though the boy had turned on his heel and was making to storm out of the room. He barely avoided colliding with Harry himself, just brushing past him, sending the smell of (oddly enough) _flowers_ wafting in the air. Harry stared after the prince with wide eyes, and only looked away when he heard Lee sigh in exasperation.

“I’m very sorry,” he said, smiling weakly. “He’s a good lad, but I fear this whole ordeal has made him…”

Harry held up his hand. “No, no, it’s completely understandable. He was a perfect gentleman, given the circumstances.”

That seemed to reassure Lee a bit, though not enough to make him lose the rigidness in his shoulders.

“Harry… If I may?” He waited for the older king to nod before continuing. “You… You _will_ take care of my boy, won’t you?” Lee’s moss-green eyes stared into Harry’s, searching for an answer.

Harry was stunned by the question. “I…” He swallowed his nerves and nodded. “Of course. He will be well looked after, Lee. I promise.”

Lee quirked a smile, nodding mostly to himself. “Thank you. I’m sure you know, but this isn’t quite the marriage I had in mind for him.”

“Nor is it one Harry had in mind for himself,” piped up Merlin. “But I’m sure things will work out.”

“You have no idea how stubborn my son can be, My Lord,” Lee sighed. “You’ll have your work cut out for you.”

Merlin held up his head, slightly offended by the notion that the young man would be too much for him to handle. “We shall see.”

“We shall,” agreed the King of Brogue, who then turned to Harry with a weary expression. “I should go and rest now. Harry,” he dipped his head to the king, and then did the same to the advisor. “Merlin.”

They both bid him goodnight, and watched as he left the room with his blue cloak swaying behind him. Once he was gone, Merlin faced Harry with a knowing look.

“You were impressed,” he observed.

A blush formed on the king’s face. “Not… impressed, strictly. We barely spoke. But… Yes, I will say I was pleasantly surprised.”

“And he felt the same,” added the bald man, and at Harry’s incredulous look, he grinned. “You might not have noticed, but he was gaping at you as you walked in. I rather think he approves. At least, on a _physical_ level.” The man had the audacity to _wink._

“Merlin,” Harry groaned, running a hand down his face. His crown felt oddly heavy now. “You’re becoming as bad as Lancelot.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Prince of Brogue has a strange encounter. 
> 
> Two, actually.

At least Lee had been faithful to his word, and did see Eggsy before he departed the next morning. The young man was already awake when his father entered his room (which was already far more extravagant than the one back in his own castle in Brogue), having not slept a wink the entire night. Lee still had the apologetic look on his face, and Eggsy could not help but pity his father. He wasn’t happy with his decision, but he understood its necessity. And Eggsy was a prince; he would do his duty for his country.

So he pulled his father into an embrace, and no words were exchanged for a long while. When they finally separated, Lee placed a warm hand upon the young prince’s shoulder.

“You’ll be alright,” he promised. “... I love you, son.”

Eggsy smiled in reply. “I love you too, Father.”

He followed Lee out into the courtyard, despite the fact that he was still in his sleep clothes (in reality, a pair of loose pants and no shirt), to see him off. Lee stepped into the carriage and kept watching out the window until he was out of sight, beyond the palace of Oxford. Eggsy was left standing on the steps, only slightly aware of the morning chill and his inappropriate dress.

But, it seemed, he was not the only one.

As he turned to head back for his room (already calculating how many times he would get lost on the way back), he suddenly smacked into somebody else; both he and the stranger fell to the floor in a heap, and both let out grunts of dismay as they hit the ground.

“Shit,” Eggsy muttered, quickly sitting up to see to damage done. He’d run into a young woman, who was dressed more modestly than he, but only by a bare amount. Over her lacy nightgown was a black overcoat, but he could see that her feet were barefoot. In addition, her honey-colored hair was a mess, strands flying about her pretty face in a haphazard manner, like she was caught in a windstorm.

The woman stared at him with equal shock, and hurriedly stood back up. Eggsy hauled himself to his feet as well, watching her warily.

“I-!” she stammered, face rapidly turning red. “I… Please don’t tell the king!” she blurted.

Eggsy blinked. “Tell the king… what?”

She frowned at him. Her eyes traveled up and down his body, presumably taking note of his attire- or lack thereof. “Hold on, who are you?”

He raised an eyebrow, but it figured; the marriage was still a secret, and he was a stranger to Oxford. People wouldn’t recognize him here as they did in Brogue. “I might ask you the same thing.”

At that, the woman’s eyes widened. “You don’t know me?”

“Should I?”

“I… No, no you should not.” She made for a quick curtsy and stepped around Eggsy. “I’m terribly sorry. Please excuse me.” And just like that, she was running up the steps into the palace, leaving a very confused Eggsy in her wake.

The people of Oxford were strange, he mused, as he finally picked up his feet and started the walk back to his room.

 

* * *

 

Half an hour later, Eggsy was hopelessly and terribly lost. Oxford was much larger than Brogue, and its palace was like a maze to a foreigner such as Eggsy. He was almost positive he’d ended up in a different section of the palace entirely, as none of the hallways seemed familiar. He had yet to spot a guard, though his cheeks heated up at the thought of having to ask for directions.

The young prince was about to throw his hands up in frustration, when a new-but-already-familiar voice called out to him.

“Prince Gary?”

He whipped around, and was horrified to find none other than King Harry himself standing there. Despite it being so early in the morning, the king looked immaculate, as he had the night before. The older man stared at Eggsy, his eyes particularly focused on his bare chest. A faint dusting of pink suddenly graced the ruler’s cheeks, and he quickly looked back at Eggsy’s face. Normally, Eggsy would have been flattered at the obvious admiration of his features, but as the situation currently was, he was mortified. And besides that, the man was his fiance. Perhaps that should not have inspired the sudden rush of shyness in Eggsy that it did, but the prince was past the point of musing about it.

“K-King Harry?” he squeaked, cursing the sudden break in his voice. “Uh… G-Good morning.”

Harry blinked a few times before he composed an answer. “Ah, yes… And to you as well. Um…”

“I got lost,” he said quickly, not allowing Harry the chance to ask the question. “I was saying goodbye to my father, and I... didn’t know how to get back to my room.”

“Ah.” Now the king had a look of understanding upon his face. “Then, may I?” He smiled gently and held out an arm. Eggsy stared at it as though Harry had drawn his sword instead. The arm retracted slightly, as did Harry’s smile. Eggsy quickly moved, linking his own arm through the king's proffered one, much to Harry’s surprise.

Eggsy kept his gaze to ground and hope that Harry would not be able to feel the blush radiating off his face. “Thank you, Your Majesty,” he said quietly. He was _not_ going to jeopardize this alliance by acting distantly and throwing off the king.

“... You’re very welcome,” Eggsy heard, though he did not look up to meet the king’s eyes.

They began walking together through the palace. Harry’s steps were confident and assured; Eggsy’s were decidedly less so. But now that he had a guide, the prince allowed himself to gaze at his surroundings appreciatively. The walls of Oxford’s palace were hung with various portraits and other artworks, and the ceilings were high and gilded. The floor was a cream-colored marble, and when one looked at Harry, it was obvious he belonged here, with his gold crown and elegant black clothing.

Still, Eggsy felt a pang of longing for Brogue. His castle was smaller, yes, but it was home. He missed the white stone corridors and well-preserved tapestries depicting his country’s proud history. He missed his smaller room, and the color blue that covered nearly every wall. It used to tire him, that color, but now he longed to see nothing but blue.

“Prince Gary?” Harry asked softly, and it was then that Eggsy realized how tight his grip on the older man’s arm had gotten. He loosened it immediately and gave a shy smile up to the king.

“I’m sorry,” he said, and he meant it. “I was just… thinking.”

“About your home?” Harry was right on the mark; it didn’t surprise Eggsy. He seemed like the type of man who was very good at reading people.

“Yes… Sorry, again.”

“I understand.” There was nothing but sympathy in the man’s tone. “I don’t blame you for feeling that way. I’ve never visited Brogue myself, but I have heard that it’s very lovely.”

“It’s beautiful,” Eggsy agreed, his eyes glazing over in fondness. “Especially in the autumn. Leaves change and the whole countryside is orange and yellow. But then you get to the castle and the damn thing’s still so _blue.”_ He suddenly shut his mouth, realizing that he’d just sworn in front of the King of Oxford. He glanced nervously at Harry.

But the king only tilted his head curiously, with a smile that encouraged Eggsy to go on.

“U-Uh…” The prince coughed. “A-Anyway, I suppose I can grow used to Oxford. Your capital is very impressive.”

“Thank you,” Harry nodded. “Though I regret to say that there aren’t many trees to turn in the autumn. But it’s quite charming in the winter, I think.”

They turned a corner in the hallway, and now things seemed familiar to Eggsy. He could see his room approach them.

“Can’t wait to see it,” he murmured distractedly. Harry led him to the door and then released his arm. Eggsy almost turned to go inside, but he hesitated, and faced Harry instead. “So, er… What exactly is the plan for today?”

“Don’t worry,” Harry chuckled, “we’ll give you time to settle in. For now, we’d just like you to adjust. A tour of the palace, perhaps, when you’re more… appropriately dressed.”

Eggsy blushed again. “Alright.”

There was a silent beat. Now, it seemed that Harry was the one who hesitated. “And… If you are feeling amenable… Merlin has advised me to introduce you to court as soon as possible.”

The prince’s jaw fell open. “What? The whole court? So soon?”

Harry grimaced sympathetically. “I know, I said the same to him. But you have arrived in Oxford safely, and we will announce the… wedding soon. It’s better to introduce you to court now rather than later.”

“I…” Eggsy could not form an appropriate response.

“It’s all up to you, of course,” he said hurriedly. “I understand if you do not want to-”

“Okay.”

Harry’s brow furrowed. “I’m sorry?”

Eggsy shuffled his feet and frowned. “I said, ‘okay’. Lord Merlin is right, I should get it over with.”

The king slowly closed his mouth and regarded Eggsy quietly. “... I see. Very good, then. I shall inform him at breakfast.”

Eggsy nodded. “Good. I’ll see you then.” He opened the door to his room and quickly ran inside, closing it securely behind him. He leaned against the wood for a few moments, heard the telltale _click_ of Harry’s shoes against the floor, and waited until the noise had stopped completely. Then, he stood away from the door and walked across the expansive room, until he reached his much-too-large bed. Eggsy fell face-first onto the downy sheets, letting out a muffled groan as he did so.

Picking his head up, he saw, on the floor next to the bed, his belongings. It was a small bag, packed with the clothes he’d worn during the four day journey from Brogue to Oxford, and other small trinkets from home that Eggsy couldn’t bear to be without. He hadn’t remembered taking it out of the carriage, but then he realized that a servant or someone else must have done it for him.

He sat up and picked up the bag, depositing it on the bed. He opened it and scanned its contents.

There were his clothes, silver and blue as ever. He assumed that Harry would likely have Oxford-appropriate attire made for him, and that he would be swathed in black and gold for the rest of his life, so he knew he would treasure his old clothes for as long as he could. Underneath his clothes sat a few of his other belongings. A few well-worn books that the Court Librarian had allowed him to take, a small silver medal bearing the crest of Brogue, letters from Jamal and Ryan that wished him well (there were tear stains on Jamal’s, Eggsy noticed fondly), and finally, a small and plain box that was attached to a note.

Eggsy removed the box from the bag and held up the note. His mother’s looping script stared up at him, the scent of her perfume barely detectable, but still there. He felt himself smile.

_‘My dearest son,’_ the note read, ‘ _I hope you know that I was never for this. I wanted you have what your father and I do. Ours was not an arranged marriage, as we’ve told you many times. But… Just because yours_ is _arranged, it does not mean that you must be unhappy._

_Lee tells me that King Harry is nothing if not a gentleman. He will treat you well, I think. And I hope, as a mother to her son, that you will be happy in Oxford. I’ve sent along a little something to remind you of home. You know what it is; you’ve seen it on my wrist since you were old enough to reach it._

_Perhaps, if I am allowed to hope, you can make use of this gift. But you must do so only when you are in love, Eggsy. Do you understand?_

_I miss you terribly already (and poor Daisy is inconsolable)._

_Your Mother.’_

Eggsy put the note down, and didn’t bother to try halting the tears currently gathering in his eyes. There was no around around to see him cry, so he let them fall freely. Drops splattered onto his lap and the box itself, which was gripped tightly in one of his hands. Judging from his mother’s words, he did have a pretty good idea of what was inside.

He opened the box slowly, and indeed, sitting on a small velvet pillow was the very thing he suspected: his mother’s bracelet.

It was a small trinket, hardly worthy of a queen such as Michelle, but Eggsy knew that she treasured it all the same. It had been given to her by his father when they got married, on the eve of their wedding day, and she’d worn it ever since. Apparently, it was an heirloom, dating back to some of Brogue’s earliest rulers, and yet it still looked new, shining brightly under the candles in Eggsy’s room (and according to King Lee, an earlier queen had given the bracelet not to her king, but to her lover, a chambermaid- it caused quite the scandal, but it was one of Eggsy’s favorite stories nonetheless).

The bracelet was made of silver, molded to look like curling ivy, and the leaves were decorated with tiny sapphires. The ivy pattern continued until it converged around a large sapphire crystal, the centerpiece of the bracelet. Eggsy had always thought it beautiful on his mother, and to now see it without her saddened him. Then again, he knew it would be given to him one day- and if not him, then Daisy, surely- to give to his own love.

But he didn’t _love_ King Harry. The man was kind, yes, and definitely handsome, Eggsy would not deny it. That did not change the fact that he did not know him. All he really knew about the King of Oxford was that, well, he was the King of Oxford. That, and he’d agreed to marry a man more than half his age in the name of peace.

Eggsy’s grip on the bracelet tightened. It was far too precious to consider giving away to a man like Harry, a stranger. With a sigh, the prince replaced the bracelet in the box and set it aside on the bed. He stood and stretched his muscles, and then turned to his bag.

Pulling out a suitable outfit, he began dressing for the long day ahead of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all know who the girl was right


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eggsy is presented to the court of Oxford, and it goes about as well as either he or Harry expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm uploading this from school so it'll be posted on tumblr later.

* * *

 

By the time Sirs Lancelot and Percival arrived at Eggsy’s room, the prince was already dressed and ready to go. They exchanged formal greetings, and then the knights led him to dining room for breakfast.

King Harry, predictably, was at the head of the table, looking much the same as when Eggsy had seen him not half an hour ago, a document of some sort in one hand as a fork was held absently in the other. He seemed more interested in the file than his own food, but he did glance up and smile at Eggsy when he walked in. Eggsy returned the gesture, though it was considerably weaker.

Sitting next to the king was Merlin, who had also greeted the prince. Behind them, besides the usual servants bustling about, were two more knights, dressed identically to Lancelot and Percival. They watched Eggsy warily, and in reply, he frowned at them before moving forwards. Harry indicated for him to sit opposite Merlin, which put him at the right-hand side of the king. A plate full of delicious-looking fruits and meat was already arranged for him when he sat down.

They ate in relative silence for a while- the only conversation held was when Harry would turn to his advisor and mutter something Eggsy couldn’t decipher, but the prince was quite alright with not talking.

“By the way,” Lancelot spoke suddenly, and because he was right behind Eggsy, the volume of his voice startled the prince. “Where is Lady Roxanne?”

Harry glanced at the seat beside Merlin, which did indeed have a plate of food set before it that Eggsy hadn’t noticed upon his arrival. “I’m not sure,” he said evenly. “But I’m certain she’ll be present at court today. Which reminds me... Merlin.”

The bald man turned his head ever-so-slightly. “Hm?”

“Prince Gary has agreed to appear before court. When would you like to do this?”

Merlin looked at Eggsy and gave a half-smile. “Whenever the prince would like, I suppose. This morning would be _excellent._ ”

Eggsy nearly choked on his water. “ _This morning?”_ he coughed. Harry looked at him with concern, but Merlin merely chuckled.

“Only a suggestion, Your Highness.”

The prince glared at the advisor. “It’s a bit _rushed_ , isn’t it?”

“‘Why put off till tomorrow what you can do today?’” he said, and it sounded suspiciously like he was quoting someone, but damn if Eggsy knew who. The man’s grin was quickly becoming infuriating.

Eggsy took a large gulp of water and set down his cup, leveling the bald man with an even glare. “Fine. This morning, then.”

Harry looked shocked, while Merlin raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.

“Wonderful,” he said, and then he was silent.

The king was frowning, sending his advisor a disapproving stare before turning to his fiance. “Are you sure, Prince Gary? There’s really no rush.”

“I am sure,” he said, and he felt it. “Lord Merlin is right. It’s better to do this sooner.”

Harry held his gaze for a few long moments, but Eggsy did not falter. Then, the king slowly nodded.

“If that is what you wish.”

That concluded that, and the rest of breakfast passed uneventfully.

 

* * *

 

A mere hour later, Eggsy was summoned from his room by Percival, strangely alone this time. Eggsy had already grown used to seeing him exclusively with Lancelot, like they were a set that could not be separated.

“The court will gather soon,” he informed the prince. Eggsy put down the book he was reading and breathed in deeply to calm himself.

A part of him almost regretted assuring Merlin that he would be ready for the court _that_ morning, especially now that it seemed like the advisor was _baiting_ him. Like he wanted to test the prince’s mettle, or something to that effect.

The prick.

Eggsy followed Percival out the door with his head held high; if this was a test, he was going to make sure he passed. They went through several corridors, twisting and turning so often that Eggsy knew for sure he would require assistance getting back (and he was getting quite impatient for that tour of the castle, if only so he wouldn’t get lost again), until they arrived at a large set of engraved double doors.

“Through here,” said Percival, and to Eggsy’s disbelief, the stoic knight sounded gentle. Perhaps he could sense the prince’s inner anxiety.

He swallowed his nerves. “Thank you.”

Percival paused for a moment. He pointed to his head and looked expectantly at Eggsy, who blinked. Suddenly, he caught the man’s meaning. He hurriedly adjusted his crown, which had sat crooked on his head, and muttered another expression of gratitude.

Satisfied, the knight pushed the doors open, swinging them out to reveal a massive throne room. Eggsy just barely managed to keep his jaw from dropping- where did Oxford get the funds to have such an elaborate palace?

The room had a curved back wall, decorated with rich tapestries and black velvet curtains with gold ropes. Arched windows lined the walls on either side. The floor was an unblemished marvel of polished white stone, and a patterned carpet led from the doors to the head of the room, where there were steps leading up the throne. The throne in itself was a wonder, a magnificently crafted work of gold and wood, embellished with little carvings that Eggsy could barely make out from across the room.

And standing in front of the throne was Harry; he looked so _right_ there, like the room was tailored specifically around him. Flanking him were the same two guards he’d seen at breakfast, and Lancelot was standing off to the side, grinning widely at Eggsy and Percival.

Eggsy felt a nudge in his back; he tilted his head and saw Percival, whose expression told him to start moving again. Quickly, the flustered prince began walking across the room to meet Harry. When he reached the steps and looked up at Harry, though, he couldn’t help but comment.

“Have you ever heard the term ‘peacocking’?”

To his surprise, Harry let out a laugh. “It _is_ rather ostentatious, isn’t it?” Eggsy saw the guards on either side of the king make different expressions; one frowned, clearly not amused. The other was trying to hide a smile of his own.

Harry beckoned for Eggsy to ascend the steps, and he did so, now at equal level with the king (even as he stood about four inches shorter, but regardless).

“I’ve been meaning to rearrange a few things,” he said. “Of course, the first order of business will be to have a throne made for you.”

Eggsy frowned. “Don’t you have one already? For whomever the ruler of Oxford marries?”

“I’m afraid that particular throne has not been used since my mother died, about forty years ago.”

“Oh.” The prince balked. Forty years? If Harry was recently turned fifty, then that meant his mother had died when he was at least ten. “... I’m sorry,” he said genuinely.

Harry accepted his decades-late condolences with a smile. “Thank you. Regardless, her throne has fallen into disrepair. Having a new one made should be no trouble at all. Perhaps…” he paused, looking _shy._ “Perhaps, if you’d like, we could make it in Brogue’s colors…? To make you feel more at home.” He’d rushed the last part out, like it was some tacked-on explanation to help him save face.

Eggsy stared at the king in utter disbelief, his sympathy evaporating like mist. The man had been kind so far, but this…? It was both flattering and patronizing, if Eggsy had to be honest. For while he appreciated the thought, a throne in Brogue’s colors, a throne not actually _in_ Brogue, would have only served as a reminder that he was _not_ in his beloved kingdom. He opened his mouth to (politely) reject the offer, but at that moment, Merlin walked in.

Both the prince and the king turned to look at him, as the advisor strode up to the steps and bowed his head formally. “Your Majesty, Your Highness. Court will begin shortly. If Prince Gary would follow me?”

Eggsy felt slightly apprehensive, but Harry smiled reassuringly, and for whatever reason, that calmed him enough to descend the steps and follow the advisor. They went to the wall that was to the left of the throne, where Merlin reached out and, to Eggsy’s shock, opened a barely-visible door. The advisor gently pushed him into the secret area and closed the door just as he heard more people enter the throne room.

“Bloody hell,” he muttered. The room was a poor substitute to the opulent one he’d just been in, but its presence was surprising all the same. It was furnished simply, with a table and two chairs, and a landscape painting decorated the wall- rather uselessly, Eggsy thought, unless there was _another_ secret passageway hidden underneath it.

He turned to Merlin and found the advisor chuckling, presumably at the prince’s reaction. It made Eggsy scowl, so the bald man held up his hands in a gesture of surrender.

“I’m sorry,” he said. To his credit, it sounded genuine. When Eggsy’s scowl lessened by a margin, he lowered his hands and folded them behind his back. “... I’d also like to apologize for earlier this morning,” he added, smiling sheepishly.

Eggsy paused. Then, raising his head, he stared the man down. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Merlin huffed out a laugh. “My… coercion of you. It was perhaps an underhanded tactic to use. But, your father had said that you were a stubborn young lad, and since I am to be your tutor,  I wanted to see for myself.”

“So…” Eggsy was now confused. “You tricked me into meeting the court today… to see how stubborn I was?”

Merlin shrugged, turning slightly so that the side of his body was facing the door. “I challenged you, and you immediately rose to prove me wrong. It’s understandable; you _are_ young.” When Eggsy glared, Merlin rolled his eyes. “I do not mean to offend you, Prince Gary. I was merely getting a measure on you before we began with tutoring.”

Eggsy rarely ever pouted, but this was one occasion where he decided it wouldn’t matter. So he pursed his lips and crossed his arms over his chest. “Just don’t do that again, Lord Merlin. Soon I’ll be your king,” he added, mostly as an afterthought, and his words held no real venom. Eggsy was not one to throw around titles like threats.

Merlin chuckled again. “That hardly ever stops me. You need only ask Harry; he’s dealt with me since we were children.”

It was rather hard at the moment for Eggsy to picture either of the men as children, or even as someone his own age, so he only nodded in response.

Quiet reigned in the room, though the prince could hear the slightly muffled words from outside. Some voices were unrecognizable, but one was unmistakably Harry’s.

“What are we doing here?” he finally asked.

“Waiting for Harry to present you. After all, it would be strange seeing someone so obviously from Brogue just standing around before the king can explain.”

“Ah…”

Merlin gave him a sideways glance. “Don’t worry. I imagine the proceedings are much the same as they are in Brogue.”

Eggsy made a face. “Probably. But I’ve never really been fond of attending court.”

“Neither is Harry,” admitted the advisor. “When we were younger, he would constantly find ways to get out of going. It drove his father _mad.”_

Despite himself, Eggsy found a small smile creeping onto his lips. He’d done the same many times before, to his parents’ chagrin.

They stood in a relatively comfortable silence for a while, until they heard Harry’s (muffled) voice carry over to their little room.

“If that is all the business to be presented today…” Harry paused, waiting for someone to speak up. When it was silent, he went on. “I have one final announcement. As many of you know, we have had an uneasy alliance with our neighboring country of Brogue. We’ve stood on the brink of war countless times in our long history, but thankfully, it has never come to that. Now I can tell you that it never will.”

Almost instantaneously, murmurs erupted from the members of court. The prince could not clarify the words to most of them, but he didn’t have to guess at the looks of confusion and surprise that were no doubt on their faces.

“Lord Merlin and I have been negotiating with King Lee of Brogue. We have reached an agreement that will secure an unbreakable truce between our kingdoms. I…” At this point, Harry paused again, but this time it seemed to be from hesitation. “I am to marry King Lee’s son, Prince Gary.”

The murmurs quickly turned to surprised gasps and shouts. Eggsy could now make out exclamations of ‘My king!’ and ‘Has he gone mad?’, which were not very reassuring things to hear. He looked at Merlin and saw the advisor frowning in irritation at the court’s response.

Suddenly, it all stopped. Eggsy could only assume that Harry had held up his hand or something to silence them all.

A male voice spoke up. “Your Majesty, surely this must be some sort of joke. A _marriage_?”

“It is not a joke,” replied Harry, and Eggsy was quite relieved to hear the king sound so disapproving towards whichever nobleman had decided to protest. “And the agreement has been finalized. In fact, Prince Gary has already arrived.”

Merlin placed a hand on Eggsy’s shoulder. “That’s our cue.” He opened the door again and led the way out, Eggsy trailing behind. The prince had squared his shoulders and set his jaw, determined to look unfazed. His resolve, however, crumbled slightly when he saw the _size_ of Oxford’s court.

Well over a hundred lords and ladies stood around the throne in a semicircle, already outnumbering Brogue’s court by at least thirty members. All eyes immediately turned on the prince as he appeared alongside Merlin, and they kept watching, caught between awe, shock, and in some cases, _anger,_ as Eggsy strode to Harry’s side, fists clenched tightly in an effort to hide his nervousness.

Harry, who had been previously seated on his throne, rose to meet Eggsy. He smiled comfortingly at the younger man, and when he spoke to address the court again, he was still looking at him.

“I present to the court: Prince Gary Unwin of Brogue. My fiance and _your_ future king.”

Eggsy stared back defiantly at the nobles, many of them looking as though they still couldn’t quite believe their king- only a few seemed neutral to his presence. But there was no denying that Eggsy was indeed the Prince of Brogue; he certainly held himself like royalty, and his blue-and-silver clothing stood out amongst the sea of dark, muted colors that most of the nobles draped themselves in.

He decided to brave speaking. “It is my honor to be here,” he began, voice low but strong. He bowed his head to them all as a show of respect, but whether or not they deserved it had yet to be seen. “I hope to prove myself an asset to Oxford, and that this marriage is successful in its endeavor.” Eggsy glanced to his side, very quickly; just long enough to see Harry’s approving smile. He felt a wave of satisfaction wash over him.

One elderly noble, however, stepped forward, his expression angry. “King Harry,” he said, voice withered with age but still boisterously loud. “You cannot just expect the court to accept this- this _farce.”_

The prince bristled at the words, but Harry reacted much more calmly, as though he’d expected the elder to say such a thing.

“I do, Lord Chester, and I also expect them to treat Prince Gary with the proper respect he deserves. This decision was made with the approval of Lord Merlin, the Kingsman knights, and the rest of my council. I assume no one has any problems with their word?” He stared out at the nobles, who began shifting uncomfortably. Eggsy guessed that the king’s council was a force to be reckoned with. Also, he wondered why Oxford’s knights had been included in the negotiations, but not a majority of the noblemen present. Perhaps he could ask either Harry or Merlin about that later.

The noble, Lord Chester, scowled. “This is highly unorthodox, Your Majesty.” He spat out the formality as though it were poisonous.

“I’d prefer our path to peace be unorthodox, rather than the traditional method of war,” retorted Harry. “This marriage will save countless lives and guarantee the safety of both kingdoms for many years to come.”

Lord Chester said nothing more, though he did not look even remotely mollified by the king’s words, unlike the rest of the court. Eggsy looked away from the man, but decided to keep an eye on him for later. He seemed the type who could easily cause trouble for Eggsy in Oxford if he wasn’t careful. But as he looked away from the elderly man, his gaze caught sight of someone else entirely. Someone familiar.

The woman he’d run into, quite literally, earlier in the morning was standing near the front of the assembly. Her eyes were blown wide with shock, and her lips were parted slightly. Instead of a flimsy nightgown and black overcoat, she was now dressed more appropriately, in a cream-colored gown with gold embellishments. Eggsy blinked at her. She blinked back.

Harry was still talking, unaware of his fiance’s state of surprise. “If there is no further objection?”

There was not.

He nodded, satisfied. “The wedding will take place in a few months’ time.” His shoulders relaxed slightly. “That is all.”

Slowly, the nobles began to shuffle out of the throne room. Many threw cautious glances back in Eggsy’s direction, but they lasted only a few moments. Lord Chester had spun on his heel and marched out, clearly quite upset, though the prince couldn’t bring himself to care. A few minutes passed, and soon, the only people left in the massive room were Merlin, Harry, Eggsy, the knights, and the mysterious woman herself.

To Eggsy’s further surprise, King Harry smiled warmly at her, and she returned it with a graceful smile of her own.

“Prince Gary,” he said suddenly, causing Eggsy to jump. “May I introduce my ward, the Lady Roxanne?”

Eggsy almost balked at the title, but he managed to keep himself in check. He turned the the newly-named lady and saw that she was smiling at him- however, definite signs of worry and apprehension were mixing in her eyes. Eggsy decided not the mention that fact that they’d already met (technically), and offered the lady a polite grin.

“It’s an honor, My Lady.”

Roxanne stared for a few seconds before she hurriedly curtsied. “The honor is mine, Your Highness. Uncle Harry, why did you not mention this marriage to me?”

Eggsy raised an eyebrow at the word ‘uncle,’ but Harry was speaking before he could question it.

“I am sorry for the subterfuge, Roxy,” he smiled timidly. “But the less people informed of it, the better.”

“If it comforts you at all, My Lady, I was the one who told the king that,” spoke Merlin. Roxy rolled her eyes at him.

She turned to the knights. “And you, Sir Percival? Sir Lancelot? You could not even tell your most precious pupil such news?”

“We were under strict orders,” Percival said, as stone-faced as ever. Lancelot, at least, had the decency to look sorry. Still, Roxanne smiled at them, to show there were no hard feelings, and then she refocused her attention on Eggsy, appraising him.

“You’ve only just arrived in Oxford, yes?” she asked, eyes narrowing only slightly, so Eggsy was the only one who noticed.

“I came just last night, Lady Roxanne.”

“Just Roxy, please. If you are to marry Uncle Harry, then we shall be almost like relatives. Have you been given a tour of the palace yet?”

Eggsy shifted. “No, Lady Roxa-... Roxy. I have not.”

She looked pleadingly at the king. “May I give him the tour, Uncle?”

Harry glanced at Merlin, who shrugged. “If Prince Gary does not mind…”

“Of course not,” assured Eggsy. “And, I’ve been meaning to say this… I actually prefer Eggsy.”

Everyone regarded him strangely, but he was used the the looks. It was an uncommon alias, after all, but it was the one he loved. He could not bear the thought of never hearing it again, and if he was to remain in Oxford, at the very least, the people he was to come into contact with everyday should know it.

“Not even my own parents call me Gary, except at extremely formal functions. Only the commoners do so on a daily basis,” he elaborated. “Everyone at the castle called me Eggsy.”

“‘Eggsy?’” repeated Merlin. “Unusual name, I must say.”

“It’s a long story. But it _is_ my preferred name, so if you would…”

Harry nodded. “Yes, of course. Whatever would make you more at home here… Eggsy.” He smiled around the name, and Eggsy’s heart fluttered again. Hearing the admittedly ridiculous name come out in Harry’s deep, elegant voice was both hilarious and… slightly arousing.

Eggsy mentally shook his head and scolded himself. He was not here to fall in love; he was here to marry.  
  
Roxanne held out her arm expectantly, and Eggsy immediately held it with his own. They both bid a goodbye to the king and his advisor. The knights followed behind them, as was their duty, as the pair walked out of the throne room into the rest of the palace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the longest chapter so far, geez. 
> 
> The next chapter will have a bit more 'political' stuff, so to speak, like the structure of the kingdoms, how succession works (especially if two men are allowed to be married), etc., etc.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eggsy receives a tour of Oxford, and it ends with a sword fight. Which isn't that surprising.

Almost the instant they were out of earshot, as both Percival and Lancelot were a safe distance behind them, Lady Roxanne tightened her grip on Eggsy’s arm and spoke in a hushed whisper.

“You could have said you were a prince,” she murmured, looking both amused and annoyed.

“You could have said you were the king’s ward,” he retorted easily. “And besides, you didn’t know I was going to be here. Why would you have believed me if I said I was a prince?”

Roxy deflated, sighing. “Yes, I suppose you’re right. I’m sorry, just…” Her teeth worried at her bottom lip, a distinctly unladylike action. “You won’t tell anyone about this morning, will you?”

Eggy raised an eyebrow. Whatever she had been doing, it must have meant a great deal to her that nobody know about it. And Eggsy had been raised right, his mother would have been proud to say, so he knew better than to deny a request from a lady. Especially one so close to his future husband.

“Your secret is safe with me, Roxy,” promised the prince.

Roxy gave him a suspicious look. “You’re not going to ask about it?”

A shrug was his response. “It’s not any of my business. I’ve not even been here a day. You owe don’t owe me any explanations.”

She stared a while more before her lips curled into a sweet smile. She was very pretty, Eggsy noted absently. “Thank you, Gary. Oh, sorry, Eggsy.”

He smiled back, and they continued walking. Roxy apparently remembered that she was giving him a tour, and she quickly set to work. She led him down various corridors, pointing out different rooms as they went. Eggsy already knew where the dining hall was, as he’d had breakfast there earlier, the throne room obviously, and the courtyard was the easiest place to find (though not the easiest to return from), so Roxy showed him the Great Hall first, where she said most of the balls and feasts were held. Eggsy and Harry’s wedding celebration would definitely be held there.

From there, she showed the prince to the library, a monumentally large stash of books that could have easily fit three of the library back in Brogue inside it; the council room, where the king held meetings too important for the general public of the court; and she even showed him the kitchens. Numerous servants were hurrying about the place, though they all greeted Roxy in a friendly manner. Some looked curiously on Eggsy, as they had no idea who he was- yet. Word would spread quickly enough of the events that transpired in court that morning.

As they walked away from the kitchens, Eggsy decided to voice his thoughts, particularly the one that had been present in his mind from the moment he and his father arrived in the kingdom.

“Oxford is very… prosperous,” he began, uncertain if he would sound flippant. “I mean, it’s much larger than Brogue, anyway.”

Roxy smiled a little. “Yes, we’re well-known for our opulence. Some might even say we’re a bit frivolous with our wealth. But that tends to happen when several gold mines have been discovered in the kingdom.”

“By several, how many…?”

“At least twelve,” she answered. “Not counting the gem mines, which would add up to twenty.”

Eggsy’s jaw dropped on its own, though he quickly snapped it shut when he saw Roxy hide a chuckle behind her other hand. “That’s…” the prince swallowed. “That’s a lot.”

“Indeed. Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t Brogue have a few mines as well?”

“Just sapphires and silver, mostly,” he said quietly. “About seven, if I can remember right.” Then, his chest puffed out slightly with pride. “They’re where we get our crest colors from.”

“You seem very patriotic,” commented the lady.

“Will that be a problem?” Eggsy asked.

“I don’t think so. Some of the nobles may be offended by it, but they’re probably the ones that Uncle Harry doesn’t care for, anyway.”

“Ah…” Eggsy took this information in. “If I may, Roxy…” He waited for her to look at him. “King Harry introduced you as his ward, not his niece. Why do you call him ‘Uncle’?”

“He has practically been one to me all my life,” she answered emphatically. “He and my father were good friends. But both my parents were older than usual when I was born…” A shade of sadness tinged her smile. “My mother died in childbirth and my father passed when I was eleven. Uncle Harry took me in shortly after.”

“I…” Eggsy suddenly felt guilty for asking. “I’m sorry, Roxy.”

“You needn’t be,” she assured him. “My uncle has taken good care of me for over ten years. I’m called the Princess of Oxford, you know.” She ended that statement with a playful wink towards Eggsy, and he felt much better. “Perhaps I should be the one to marry you.”

She’d meant it as a teasing statement, Eggsy knew. But in a way, it made sense. If Eggsy were to marry Roxy, he wouldn’t have had to leave Brogue; she would become queen of his country, as he would still be King Lee’s heir.

He frowned. Of course things didn’t turn out that way. Oxford’s army was bigger and probably stronger, and despite the fact the Brogue had an impressive record of victories in its past, an actual war with the larger kingdom would have caused casualties that neither side wanted. So instead of Oxford offering up their ‘princess’, Brogue had to offer its prince. And in that, Eggsy had to revoke his claim to the throne.

He’d still get to be a king, though that was never what he cared about. He wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps, be a king he would have been proud of. He would lead Brogue into a peaceful and prosperous era, as he dreamed he would during his childhood. It hardly seemed fair, really, that he’d been trained all his life to become that man, only to have the opportunity taken from him by his _own father,_ in exchange for peace with their rivals. Instead he was to be the king of a country that probably hated, or at the very least didn’t trust him, while Brogue was left with Lee’s only remaining heir.

Now, he didn’t doubt, that under the proper tutelage and guidance of their parents, Princess Daisy would become a wonderful queen. Eggsy adored his sister, but she was only _two years old_. There would be many years to wait until she took on the crown.

And then, of course, there was the matter of Eggsy’s own heir- that is, he and Harry’s. Both being men, they would have to choose someone they thought was worthy to take over. Eggsy would guess that Roxy was Harry’s default choice, but now that there was to be a king the same age as her, they would probably end up choosing someone younger.

Eggsy didn’t realize how long he’d been quiet until Roxy was gently shaking his shoulder, prompting him to look at her with wide eyes.

“Oh, I-... I’m sorry, Lady Roxy.”

“Are you alright?” she asked softly.

“I’m… fine. I was just thinking.”

“About?”

“I…” Eggsy closed his mouth. Roxy looked at him earnestly, compelling him to tell her the truth. “I was wondering how on earth things came to this,” he confessed, his eyes going towards the floor.

Roxy did not show any signs of surprise, only sympathy. Her hand was still warm on Eggsy’s shoulder, and her smile was reminiscent of a saint’s.

“Let me show you something,” was all she said, before she gently tugged the prince further down the halls. Eggsy allowed her, staying silent; the only sounds were their shoes against the floor and the light clang of the knights’ armor as they trailed the pair.

Finally, after what seemed like a few minutes, Roxy stopped in front of a large door. Nothing really distinguished it from the other doors Eggsy had seen so far in Oxford, save for the palm-sized emblem on its front. A sword and shield lay emblazoned on the door. Roxy sent him a smirk before she pushed the doors open.

Eggsy gasped.

Laid out before him was the largest, most well-equipped training room the young prince had ever seen. Across the expansive checkered floor and propped against the painted wall were multiple racks, containing various swords and other weapons, such as crossbows, spears, and even a couple of maces. Other equipment was set up in what looked like stations; targets, practice dummies, and shields were lined up in neat rows, just waiting to be used.

Eggsy felt his fingers twitch. He glanced over and Roxy and saw that her smirk had turned into a full-blown grin.

“Do you like it?” asked the lady.

He replied honestly. “This is _amazing.”_

“I had you pegged as a fighter,” Roxy laughed. “What do you specialize with?”

“Sword,” he replied breathlessly, taking a few steps inside the training room. Roxy followed him, as did Percival and Lancelot.

“What a coincidence. So do I.” Roxy strode over to the rack full of swords, beckoning Eggsy to follow, and he obliged. When they were there, she examined a few of them before picking up one of medium size. It had a plain hilt and blunt edge, which was expected of a training sword. Still smiling, the lady handed it to Eggsy. “Let’s see who’s better, shall we?”

Eggsy stared at her for a moment, before he slowly smiled back and took the offered weapon. “You’re going to fight like that, Roxy?” he asked, gently teasing her, as he looked over her state of dress.

Her eyes became challenging as her grin widened. “What? Afraid you’ll lose to a girl in a dress?”

“I’m not afraid of losing to anyone,” responded the prince. “Though I think losing to a _man_ in a dress would be slightly more demeaning.”

Roxy laughed. She turned to the knights. “Sir Percival?”

He stepped forwards. “Yes, My Lady?”

“Referee our match, will you?”

The man bowed his head. “Of course, My Lady.”

Lancelot pouted from beside him. “And what about me?”

“You may watch,” she shrugged. “But I cannot trust you to referee.”

“And why not?” he demanded to know.

“You favor me. It would be unfair to the prince.”

At that, Lancelot smiled good-naturedly. “Ah. I suppose you’re right, Lady Roxanne. Very well.” He turned and moved to sit down at a bench, while Percival moved forwards. Eggsy returned his gaze to Roxy and found that she had picked up a sword of her own. They both grinned at each other before moving to the center of the room, where there was more space to fight.

They took their stances, holding their swords out in front of them. Percival stood off to the side, his face neutral.

“Ready?” he asked, and was answered with determined silence. “Then begin.”

In an instant, Roxy’s skirts were a blur across the room, as she charged at the prince with her sword primed. Eggsy barely had time to lift his own blade to deflect her attack, stumbling backwards as he did so. His eyes were wide.

Of course, there were plenty of girls back in Brogue who could fight. In fact, there was one particular young woman who’d managed to throw Ryan onto his back in less than a minute (Eggsy and Jamal joked that he’d fallen for her before he even hit the ground). So Eggsy was not surprised that Roxy would be a decent fighter- no one could have her confidence and easy grace and _not_ be- but this was unexpected.

She moved like a viper, he wanted to say, but she was also elegantly poised, like a cat getting ready to pounce. She took advantage of his surprise and landed a jab to his side, eliciting a small grunt from the prince.

Eggsy quickly righted himself and gripped his sword tighter. He was not one to give up a fight so easily. He waited for Roxy to strike again, feigning another stumble, and she did not disappoint, so as her blade thrust for him, he stepped to the side and let her momentum bring her forwards. His sword jabbed her twice neatly in the legs, and she turned to stare at him with wide eyes. He smirked.

“What’s wrong, Lady Roxanne?” he teased. “You seem surprised.”

Her composure returned soon enough. “There’s hardly a soul in Oxford who can land a hit on me,” she said, though it didn’t sound boastful. If anything, she sounded impressed. “Save for the Kingsman knights and the king himself, I’m one of the best fighters in the country.”

Eggsy whistled. “Then I am honored.”

Just as the last syllable left his mouth, Roxy lunged again, landing a hit to his shoulder, which spurred Eggsy back into action. They continued on for what felt like hours, trading blows as well as verbal spars, all in a friendly manner, until Eggsy lost his footing due to exhaustion, and Roxy took advantage of it. She stuck out her foot and tripped the prince, causing him to land on his back, and she pointed to blunt end of her training sword to his chest.

The lady grinned proudly over him, until suddenly the grin faded and stepped back with horror. Eggsy frowned, not understanding her sudden reticence, until he heard Lancelot and Percival snap to attention. He twisted his head around and saw, at the door, King Harry.

The older man was accompanied by, predictably, Kingsman knights, and all look slightly amused at the scene before them. Roxy’s face was apologetic, bordering on shamed, and while Percival kept his face stoic, Lancelot’s nervous grin was enough to speak for them both.

“And what is going on here?” asked Harry. He didn’t sound upset or angry.

“Sparring,” Eggsy found himself saying, still sprawled against the floor. “Lady Roxanne here is a very skilled swordswoman.” He winked at the lady in question. “Should’ve known Oxford has only the highest standards for this as well.”

She smiled gratefully at him, while Harry, too, grinned. “Indeed,” he said. “Roxy has been trained under Sirs Percival and Lancelot since her fifteenth birthday.”

“Trained by Kingsman?” Eggsy replied with a fake groan. “You could have said!” he complained to Roxy, who only shrugged.

“You didn’t ask.”

“Well, how am I to trust you now, knowing you had that unfair advantage over me?”

“Oh, forgive me, Your Highness,” she curtsied low to him; a comical sight, since he had yet to get up from the ground. “Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?”

“Hm.” Eggsy made a show of considering his options. “Offer to show me a few of those moves and I might be persuaded to forgive you.”

She threw her head back and laughed. “It’s a deal.”

By this point, Harry had strode over to them and was now standing over Eggsy. He offered a hand to the prince, who took it gladly, and lifted him easily off of the ground. Eggsy was momentarily thrown by how unexpectedly strong the king was, but he didn’t let the shock show on his face. He merely smiled politely at his fiancé.

“We saw quite a bit of that fight,” he admitted. “You’re quite skilled yourself, Eggsy.”

Eggsy blushed under the king’s admiring gaze. “T-Thank you. I trained a lot in Brogue.”

His smile widened. “It shows.”

Roxy looked wisely between the two of them and cleared her throat, calling their attention away from each other. “Was there something you needed from us, Uncle Harry?” As she spoke, she put away the training sword. Eggsy followed suit.

“Hm? Oh, yes. You two have been gone for quite a while. It’s nearly time for lunch.”

Eggsy’s eyes widened just a bit, and even Roxy looked a bit surprised.

“I see. Well, I must freshen up, then.” The lady looked down at her rumpled skirts, and she did not even need to mention the slight sheen of sweat on her forehead that was causing her hair to stick to her skin. Eggsy figured he wasn’t in much better shape. “Excuse me.” She curtsied to them both, nodded at the four Kingsman knights, and then proceeded to walk out of the room.

“I should, ah…” Eggsy rubbed the back of his head. “I should probably clean myself up as well.”

“May I escort you back to your room?” There was an unspoken hint of amusement dancing in the king’s eyes, and Eggsy suddenly remembered with startling detail that very morning, when Harry had done that very same thing. Eggsy wanted to say no, but… Even after the tour, he was not yet used to Oxford’s palace. So he gave the king a half-smile.

“I would very much appreciate that, Your Majesty.”

When Harry stuck out his arm, it took Eggsy less than a second to reciprocate. He tried not to notice how _delighted_ the king seemed.

“Please, call me Harry. I would find it rather awkward if my husband did not call me by name.”

Eggsy’s smile widened just a bit. “Alright. Harry.”  
  
Arm-in-arm, and followed by a quartet of knights, the engaged couple made their way out of the training room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Roxy being just slightly better than Eggsy at combat is one of the things that gives me life. you go bby girl
> 
> Also, yeah, Harry and Eggsy are becoming slightly more comfortable with each other. But they've still got a long way to go before the lovey-dovey romance stuff begins. :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a bit of a chat during lunch, Eggsy is full of surprises (and homesickness), and Harry begins to realize something.

During lunch, Eggsy was able to ask Lord Merlin when the marriage announcement was to be made public. He’d gotten a vague reply- “A week, maybe two”- and then the conversation turned to other things. Roxy, for example, had quite a lot to say. Eggsy’s suspicion that she was meant to be King Harry’s heir was confirmed, as she cleared her throat and spoke thusly.

“As it’s quite clear I’m not going to rule Oxford,” she said, and there was no trace of bitterness in her voice, to the prince’s great relief, “I think I should take on a different role. Don’t you think, Uncle Harry?”

Harry sighed, sounding like an exasperated parent- and Eggsy knew _exactly_ what they sounded like- and placed down his utensils beside his half-empty plate. “I know what you’re going to say, Roxy. I’m still not sure.”

Roxy frowned. “But you know how skilled I am! Eggsy even said so!” She looked pointedly at the prince, who tensed at her sudden intense stare.

“I…” he faltered. “I’m not quite sure what we’re talking about…?”

Merlin was the one to answer for him, as Harry and Roxy were otherwise engaged in a staring contest, as if to see who would crumble first.

“Lady Roxanne has made it clear that her intention is to join the Kingsman knights.” The advisor smiled over at the pair. “She conceded that if she were to be King Harry’s successor, she would not pursue that dream, but with you in the picture…”

“Ah…” Eggsy blinked as he came to understand the situation. He glanced back at Roxy and Harry. “Well, what’s the problem then?” he asked, with genuine confusion. Both nobles turned to look at him- Roxy appeared smug, while Harry’s exasperated expression was now trained on the prince. “Why can’t she be a Kingsman?”

“It’s not that she _can’t,”_ said Harry, shooting Roxy a look. “Rather, I think she’s more than capable. But it isn’t me that needs to be convinced.”

“You’re the king!” she exclaimed. “Surely Sir Gawain can’t deny me if you put in a good word?”

“The leader of Kingsman,” Eggsy heard Merlin say to him. “He supervises the training of all would-be knights, and it’s up to him to assign guards to certain members of the court.”

Eggsy nodded. “I’m guessing this Sir Gawain isn’t fond of the idea of a lady as a knight.”

Harry smiled, though it was without mirth. “Indeed. He’s a rather… traditional man.”

Roxy’s pout was still on her face, though she’d crossed her arms as well. “I still think he could be persuaded if you were to talk to him.”

“Would he really deny _you?”_ asked Eggsy.

“Perhaps not directly. But he _will_ fight tooth and nail to try and change my mind.”

“Which you won’t do,” Roxy said. “I know you won’t.”

The king breathed in deeply, and then exhaled that breath, looking at the lady. “We’ll see, Roxy. I can’t promise anything, but we’ll see.”

Roxy paused, considering this for a moment, before she nodded and leaned back in her chair. She shared a look with Eggsy, who was grinning reassuringly at her. Eggsy didn’t know too much about Kingsman- other than the fact that it was a very exclusive order of royal guards- but if anyone was worthy of the title, he was sure it was Roxy.

 

* * *

 

That night, Eggsy lay awake in his bed. By all accounts, he should have been exhausted by his first official day in Oxford, but instead, his body was thrumming with energy. He tapped his fingers anxiously against the soft sheets of his bed, hearing only his breathing and the shift of the fabric. Suddenly, Eggsy sat up. The room felt too small, despite the fact that it was enormous. To the right of his bed, on a small, but elaborately carved stand, sat the box that housed his mother’s bracelet. He took it out and caressed the silver delicately, as though it would crumble if he pressed too hard. Then, he slipped it onto his wrist.

The prince all but jumped out of bed and began marching towards the door, intent on getting fresh air. In Brogue, Eggsy often wandered the castle at night. In particular, he’d go to the gardens, where he’d sit and look at the flowers like he used to with his mother when he was a child. But in Oxford, things were different.

He remembered Roxy showing him where the gardens were during the tour, and he was fairly confident he could remember the way, but another problem presented itself as he neared the door to his room. He heard dull murmurs from outside; Percival and Lancelot. He’d almost forgotten that they were his guards, and as such, they were posted outside his room. Eggsy swore under his breath and turned around, pacing back the entire length of the room, trying to think of an alternative.

Just one moment to himself, he thought. One moment, and not trapped in this room, with its gold and black decorations. One moment of unrestrained _freedom._

Eggsy paused, taking notice of the other door on the opposite end of his room. This particular door was made of glass, and it led out to a small balcony. The prince grinned to himself and quickly ran for the door, but not before grabbing a pair of shoes and tugging them on. He opened the door quietly, and then closed it behind him, not at all minding the bracing night air. He peered over the edge of the balcony’s railings; luckily, Eggsy’s chambers were only three stories up. He leapt with astonishing grace over the railing, securing his feet on the other side. He saw that the walls outside the palace had small ledges and decorative embellishments sculpted into them, making him grin even wider.

Much like a cat, he jumped from the balcony to the walls, his feet easily catching on the sculpting. From there, he made an easy descent, and he knew that climbing back up would be just as easy. When his feet touched solid ground, Eggsy let out a breath of air, smiling. Then, he began walking towards the gardens.

It wasn’t a far walk from his chambers, so he reached the area in just a few minutes. Eggsy had to admit, as in all things, Oxford did not leave people wanting. Their gardens were blooming with all manner of flowers and plants, though it was hard to see the full detail of many in the dim moonlight. Eggsy strolled along a cobblestone path, admiring and simply _breathing_ in the flowers.

That is, until, he spotted the daisies.

His smile turned sad as he slowly knelt down beside the small bush, which looked so plain compared to the many exotic breeds surrounding it. He thought of his sister, who liked to pick the flowers, but had yet to master making chains out of them, despite the many times he, Jamal and Ryan tried to show her. He thought of his mother, who claimed that his father had selected a bouquet of daisies to be set at breakfast the day she announced she was pregnant with his second child. He thought of his father, who then proceeded to give little Daisy a different colored version of her namesake every months since she was born.

Eggsy plucked a flower from the bush and held it to his lips. His eyes were closed, and his head was so full of thoughts from home that the rest of the world didn’t seem to exist.

Of course, that meant it was perfectly understandable when Eggsy was suddenly startled by a soft voice behind him.

“Eggsy?”

He turned, slowly filling with dread, and saw King Harry.

“H-Harry,” his voice cracked, and he hurriedly made to stand up. The daisy was still clutched tightly in his hand. “W-What, uh… What are you doing here?”

“A meeting ran late,” the king replied, raising an eyebrow. He walked closer to Eggsy. “My rooms are just past here.” When he was a mere two feet away from his fiance, he stopped. “And you?”

“I…” Eggsy swallowed thickly. “I was just…”

Staring into Harry’s eyes- which were neither angry nor upset, just curious- the Prince of Brogue sighed.

“I needed to get away. Just a couple of minutes, no guards, no nobles…” Eggsy looked down and rolled the daisy between his fingers. His face burned with shame- though whether it was at being caught, or being caught by _Harry,_ he wasn’t sure.

At once, Harry’s face fell from curious to sympathetic- and perhaps a bit guilty. “Ah, yes… I understand. But… Where are your Kingsmen?”

Eggsy blushed. “I… managed to get out of my room without them noticing...”

He tried not to feel proud when Harry looked visibly impressed. “How on earth-?”

“Climbed off the balcony,” he shrugged. At Harry’s concerned look, Eggsy smiled. “I used to do stuff like that all the time back in Brogue. I’m alright.”

“Still...” Harry walked forwards again, and to Eggsy’s surprise, reached his hand out to cup the prince’s cheek. Eggsy turned a dark shade of pink as he stared at the king. “You shouldn’t wander the palace without Lancelot and Percival. It’s still far too dangerous for you.”

Eggsy fought to control his breathing- King Harry cut a dashing figure from afar, but from this close? It was downright _unfair._

“It’s nighttime,” he murmured, resisting the growing urge to lean into the king’s hand. “There’s no one out here but us, Harry.”

As if suddenly realizing what he was doing, the king jerked his hand back, and stumbled backwards a few steps for good measure. His face, Eggsy was satisfied to say, was just as pink as his own.

“I- I apologize, Eggsy,” mumbled Harry. “That was…”

“It’s fine,” the prince said quickly. “I appreciate your concern, really. I promise, I won’t wander unsupervised again.” To placate the king, he sent a lopsided grin his way, and it seemed to work, as Harry’s own lips appeared to quirk up.

“I’m glad to hear it. Will you be able to get back to your room on your own?” he asked, with just a small hint of teasing in his tone. Eggsy crossed his arms and huffed.

“I can manage, thank you. But…” He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “If you really think the palace is so dangerous at night, then you may escort me back to my chambers.”

Harry laughed, and Eggsy found that he quite liked the sound of it. The king extended his arm again, and this time, the prince did not hesitate to link his own arm with it. But it was then that Eggsy realized he was still holding onto the daisy in his other hand- the one that wasn’t linked with Harry’s. He twirled the flower absently for a few moments before he lifted it up and stuck it behind his ear; it was a force of habit by now, one created because Princess Daisy found it so entertaining to see Eggsy wear flowers.

He glanced at the king and saw Harry looking strangely at him.

“What?” he blushed.

“I… It’s nothing.” Harry soon smiled reassuringly at him. “You look lovely, is all.”

Eggsy flared red and said nothing more on the way back to his room.

 

* * *

 

Harry dropped Eggsy off at his room, as promised- and Percival and Lancelot both looked very scandalized to discover that the prince had managed to sneak away from them (well, _Percival_ looked scandalized; Lancelot seemed impressed, to his husband’s dismay). Then, after bidding him another goodnight, the king all but _retreated_ back to the privacy of his own quarters.

He let out a long groan as he collapsed in a chair in his chambers. He quickly peeled off his crown and laid it on the table beside him, letting the heavy metal clunk against the wood inelegantly. Then he ran a hand down his face, letting the limb pause over his mouth, as he thought about what had just transpired.

Running into Prince Gary- no, _Eggsy,_ his mind reminded him reproachfully- was apparently becoming a trend. Harry wouldn’t mind it so much, if it weren’t for the fact that Eggsy grew increasingly more attractive with each encounter.

It hardy helped that the king’s first impression of his fiance already concluded the boy to be beautiful. And then their second encounter saw the lad _half-naked._ Harry felt himself blush just by remembering that morning, and he tried valiantly to not think of smooth pale skin and a well-defined form (to no avail).

And then the day proper had started. Eggsy stubbornly met Merlin’s challenge and met the entire court of Oxford, and acted like a proper sovereign through it all, bolstering Harry’s admiration for him. Then he’d gone off with Roxy on a tour, and Harry came back to find them sparring. He was relieved that Eggsy took defeat so graciously, and he was more than a little impressed that Roxy looked fairly tired out as well. Perhaps one day he could spar with the boy, he mused. He could watch for himself as he grew slowly more and more disheveled, his perfect blond hair flying out of place, his green eyes narrowed in concentration, and sweat beading down his forehead as Harry advanced-

The king let out another groan, shutting his eyes tightly. His own mind was betraying him, now.

It wasn’t _so_ strange, he could tell himself. Eggsy was definitely beautiful, anyone could see that. In fact, a few lords and ladies came to him after court to congratulate him, and they’d voiced similar opinions. So having such… distracting thoughts about the boy could probably be excused.

But it wasn’t _just_ Eggsy’s looks that attracted Harry. From one day alone with the young prince, he’d seen determination, humility, resourcefulness, a considerable amount of diplomatic skill, and wit. All the making of a fine ruler, and then some. And then Harry had seen him in the gardens.

The young man had such a look of melancholy on his face, and he was illuminated just so by the moonlight that Harry was almost fooled into thinking him some sort of fallen angel. Eggsy held a daisy to his lips as he mused about something unknown- his home, Harry assumed- and was completely closed off from the world, until Harry decided to go and open his stupid mouth.

Walking arm-in-arm with Eggsy felt so… natural. As if their arms were made to link together. They fell into step so easily, and at such a close distance, the king could smell the scent of flowers that still lingered on the boy.

Then Eggsy stuck the daisy behind his ear, and Harry knew he was fucked.

Harry sank further into his chair. Merlin would probably be happy, telling him that falling in love with his fiancé would only make the alliance stronger. Then, of course, Harry would have to remind him that just because _he_ was falling for Eggsy, it didn’t mean that _Eggsy_ was falling for him. And the one thing worse than an arranged marriage where neither party is in love is an arranged marriage where _one_ party loves the other, but doesn’t have their affections reciprocated.  
  
With a large sigh and a great amount of effort, Harry pulled himself to his feet. It was far too late to get caught musing on such things, he thought sulkily. So he merely shook the thoughts from his head to put off until the morning, and moved to prepare himself for bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harry has it so bad I almost feel sorry for him
> 
> almost


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Egis's still adjusting to life in Oxford- certain people aren't making it easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a little meh about this chapter. :/ Oh well.

“King Bernard was also well-known for his interest in construction. It is thanks to him that Oxford has its tall towers and unusual architecture. Of course, it helps that his predecessor established the mines to fund the building projects. Do you remember his name, Your Highness?”

Merlin turned to face the Prince of Brogue, who was seated at the desk they’d provided for him in the advisor’s chambers. Eggsy had his chin resting in one of his hands, the other holding open a large dusty tome filled with just a fraction of Oxford’s illustrious history. Similar volumes lay on the desk, though the prince had pushed them as far to the side as possible to focus on the one currently in front of him.

Eggsy’s eyes glanced up at the advisor. “King Nathaniel, wasn’t it?”

Merlin smiled and bowed his head. “Correct, Your Highness.”

Eggsy smiled back. He watched the older man pace the length of the room again as he went into further detail explaining about King Bernard and his architectural exploits.

This had been the routine for Eggsy for about a week now. Merlin insisted on beginning his lessons as soon as possible, and Eggsy wasn’t about to argue; since his introduction to the court, his presence within the palace was more than just noticed- it was anticipated. It seemed that every time he turned the corner, a nobleman or noblewoman was there, ready to pounce. They all acted genially enough, but Eggsy was no fool. He could tell genuine courtesy from hidden intentions. He’d been asked all manner of questions, all dealing with current affairs and the wellbeing of the country. 

He knew what they wanted: to test him. To see if he was smarter than his twenty-three years. It was no surprise that many of Oxford’s court did not exactly view him with respect- at least, not the sort of respect Eggsy would have liked to have. They were nice to him simply because he was King Harry’s fiancé, and royalty from a neighboring kingdom, but not because they saw him as a competent future ruler.

And so, when Merlin offered to start his lessons, Eggsy all but jumped on the chance. They started right away, each morning and afternoon in Merlin’s expansive chambers, after breakfast and before dinner. Eggsy knew that the kingdom of Oxford had a long history (longer than Brogue’s, at least), and so he expected the lessons to be extensive. At the very least, he expected Merlin to be something of a strict teacher.

Merlin did not disappoint. In just that week alone, he’d assigned the prince to read four chapters from a history tome every night before he retired for bed. And Eggsy did. He wasn’t exactly known for being the best student back to his tutors in Brogue, but he was determined to learn everything he could about Oxford. If he was to be king, he would do a damn good job of it.

Of course, it helped that King Harry was _very_ impressed with how well he was learning.

Merlin made it a point to tell the king about Eggsy’s progress at dinner each night since they began. And Harry, in turn, would ask Eggsy questions about Oxford, which the prince answered with fair confidence, and when he was correct (which was often, not that he was bragging), Harry took on such a look of fondness and pride that Eggsy couldn’t help but flush with pleasure.

Merlin wrapped up their session that morning with King Bernard’s death and his successor- Queen Evelyn’s- coronation. Despite the fact that Eggsy was dedicated to their lessons, he scrambled to scoop up his book and bow to the advisor, which caused Merlin to raise an eyebrow.

“Have plans for this morning, Eggsy?”

The prince managed to look sheepish. “Roxy wanted to do a bit of sparring before lunch.”

He smiled. “Ah. Well, good luck, then.”

“Thank you." 

Eggsy left the advisor’s chambers, finding Percival and Lancelot awaiting him dutifully outside. Since his little late-night excursion to the gardens, his Kingsman guards had been a little more wary around the prince, despite Eggsy promising to never do such a thing again. Still, he couldn’t exactly blame them. Half of the guard back in Brogue had premature grey hairs because of Eggsy and his little stunts.

Still holding onto his book, Eggsy made a quick stop to his chambers to drop it off, and then he went to find Roxy in the training room. The lady was gorgeous, as usual, this time sporting a plain, high-collared uniform, complete with sensible pants and shoes. Eggsy wagered she’d be tougher to fight this time around.

He smiled widely at her as he entered the room. “Morning, My Lady.”

She did a curtsy, despite not having any skirts. “Your Highness. Are you ready to be beaten to the ground again?”

Eggsy snorted, pulling his training sword from the rack and walking towards her. “You wish, Roxy.”

She rolled her head about her shoulders, cracking any stiff joints in her neck, and met his challenging gaze with one of her own. Eggsy was about to get into his fighting stance when he noticed a purple colored bruise on the lady’s neck, just barely hidden by the collar of her shirt.

“What is that?” he asked, his eyes focused on the bruise. Roxy frowned in confusion for a moment before she realized what Eggsy was looking at. Her hand flew to the bruise to cover it up, and she flushed a dark scarlet.

“I-It’s nothing. I just… I left my locket on while I slept last night. It must have pressed into my skin.”

Eggsy frowned. “I didn’t realize you bruised so easily, My Lady.”

She waved off his concerns, inadvertently revealing the bruise once more, but she didn’t pay it any mind. “No disrespect, Eggsy, but you’ve known me for all of a week. Of course you don’t realize a lot of things about me.”

He watched her suspiciously for a few moments, and she met his gaze with resolute determination, until he decided that the matter was best left alone. He got into his stance instead, and Roxy, grateful, got into hers.

Percival once again assumed the role of referee and called for their match to begin.

 

* * *

 

An hour later, Eggsy was walking back to his room, exhausted but satisfied, and Percival and Lancelot trailed faithfully behind him. Roxy beat him again, to his chagrin, but she’d also shown him a few of her moves, and Eggsy wasn’t going to complain about that. He’d do better next time- he may even eventually beat her.

As such, because he was in a good mood, Eggsy hummed a song as he walked through the hallways. He wasn’t at all self-conscious with the Kingsman guards there, and he even caught Lancelot smiling at him out of the corner of his eye. All in all, it was a rather good day so far.

That is, until he rounded the corner.

He nearly smacked into another body, but he caught himself before he did so. Looking up, Eggsy saw a young man, dressed in fine attire, watching him with a curious frown. And right behind the young man was the elderly lord who protested Eggsy’s presence so openly during court. Lord Chester, if he recalled correctly. He looked just as ornery as he had back then, and he did not even try to put up a polite facade.

Eggsy paused, taking a moment to collect himself, and then he stepped back to an appropriate distance from the young man and bowed his head respectfully.

“My Lord,” he spoke.

Chester pursed his lips, as though he’d bitten something sour. “Prince Gary. What a strange thing, running into you here.” He turned to the young man, who’d straightened immediately upon hearing the word ‘prince’. “Might I introduce my nephew, Charles?”

The young man, Charles apparently, bowed formally to Eggsy, though he kept his curious gaze on the prince. “Your Highness,” he greeted. Eggsy nodded at him.

“It’s nice to meet you, Charles,” he smiled. “I’m sorry about, well, almost running into you.”

“Oh, the fault was mine,” said Charles. “I was a bit distracted. My apologies.”

Chester gave the young man a calculating look, which confused Eggsy, and then turned back to face the prince. His eyes swept over his lithe frame, taking in the sweaty clothes and disheveled hair, and raised an eyebrow. “Come from training, Your Highness?”

“Yes, with Lady Roxanne.”

Almost immediately, Charles made a strange noise, almost like a snort, but when Eggsy’s eyes were upon him, his face betrayed nothing but neutrality. Chester, however, was less inconspicuous.

“Ah. Is it a common practice in Brogue, fighting women?" 

Eggsy felt indignant on Roxy’s behalf. So he leveled the lord with a cold look. “Yes, it is. Because my father happens to believe that anyone is capable of protecting their kingdom, and that they should have the chance to do so if they wish.”

Chester smiled thinly. “You’ll find that things are quite different here in Oxford, Prince Gary.”

“I already have.”

The elder noble chuckled (though Eggsy loathed to call it a ‘warm’ gesture) and looked at Charles.

“We really must be off. Charles is nearly late for his own training.”

Eggsy, as well as Percival and Lancelot, all respectively stepped aside to let the nobles pass. Chester brushed past them, the very picture of arrogance, but Charles gave Eggsy another glance before following after his uncle.

Once they were well out of earshot, Eggsy began walking again, muttering quietly to his guards.

“What the hell is his problem?”

“Lord Chester’s quite famous for his, erm… difficult tendencies,” said Lancelot, in a manner that seemed apologetic. “King Harry isn’t so fond of him, either.”

“But,” cut in Percival, “there’s little to be done about it. Lord Chester’s family is the second-richest in Oxford, behind only the king himself. They own half of the gold and gem mines in the country.”

Eggsy fought off a second wave of annoyance- he figured Lord Chester would be someone important, because you simply couldn’t be such a cock to everyone without having a small amount of power, but he had been hoping he wouldn’t be quite so high-up. That meant he was likely going to see more and more of the damned old man.

Not even a month in Oxford, and he’d already found someone he despised. Wonderful.

Eggsy sighed and rolled his shoulders, the ache of his sparring match with Roxy still lingering in his bones. “Do you know if I have any plans until lunch?”

“I think King Harry actually wanted to speak with you,” said Percival. “I believe it has something to do with the Kingsman guards.”

Eggsy looked back at the knight with a confused expression. “Why would Harry want to talk to _me_ about the Kingsmen?" 

“It might be time to assign you a permanent guard,” suggested Lancelot. “I’ve heard that Sir Gawain isn’t exactly pleased with you having two.”

Percival frowned. “Which is ridiculous. King Harry has Bedivere _and_ Kay, and Sir Gawain doesn’t complain.”

“Well,” Eggsy shrugged. “Harry’s the king.”

“ _You’re_ also going to be king. Unless Sir Gawain plans on splitting guards between the you both, I see no reason why you shouldn’t have two knights.”

Lancelot grinned and nudged his husband with an elbow. “Oh, Percy, be honest. You just want to stay with the prince, don’t you?”

The more stoic knight actually _sputtered,_ to the amusement of both the prince and the other Kingsman.

Eggsy laughed, his voice filling the empty halls of the palace. “It’s alright, Sir Percival. I’ve grown fond of you as well. And you, Sir Lancelot,” he nodded to the other knight. “If I am only getting one guard, I at least hope it’s either of you.”

Percival and Lancelot both stared at him for a moment before matching smiles of fondness stretched across their faces.

“Me too, Your Highness,” Lancelot grinned. “Me too.”

 

* * *

 

Shortly after Eggsy changed his clothes and became decently presentable again, Percival and Lancelot brought him to the king’s chambers. Standing on either side of the doors were the same two guards Eggsy had seen before- Sirs Bedivere and Kay, he guessed. One of them, who had dark hair and a perpetually unimpressed air about him, stared straight ahead, as though he hadn’t noticed the Prince of Brogue approach. The other, who was older and had blonde hair, smiled kindly at Eggsy before pushing the door open for him. 

Eggsy decided he quite liked the latter knight.

Percival and Lancelot remained outside the doors as Eggsy stepped in. When they closed behind him, he was greeted with the sight of a _casual_ King Harry.

Well, not really ‘casual’, per se, but the older man was more informal than Eggsy had ever seen him. His crown was lying on the foot of his bed, leaving his still-immaculate hair unmatted, and instead of a fancy brocade with imposing embellishments, the king wore a simple black tunic, tan pants, and black boots. He sat languidly in a chair, one hand cradling his forehead as though he were suffering from a headache. But when he heard the prince enter, he looked up and smiled tiredly at his fiancé. 

“Eggsy,” he said quietly. The prince felt himself flush as the king’s gaze swept over him- it always seemed as though Harry was appraising him, like one would a fine painting or valuable treasure.

Still, he managed to eke out a response. Harry gestured to the chair across from him, and Eggsy sat obediently. 

“Harry,” he returned. “Percival said you’d like to speak to me? About... the Kingsmen?”

Harry smiled gently and nodded an affirmative. “That is correct. Sir Gawain approached me just the other day. He said he’d like to come to a permanent arrangement concerning your guards. 

Eggsy grimaced; just as they’d thought. “And what… exactly did he say?”

“He did not state so directly, but it was quite clear that he believes you having two guards is a waste of Kingsman resources.” As he spoke, Harry took on a look of distaste.

“And… You said…?”

“I told him that it was perfectly reasonable for the future ruler of Oxford to have two guards, as I do.” Harry tilted his head up just slightly, and Eggsy found himself smiling.

“How’d he take that?” 

“Indignantly. He insists on speaking with _you_ about the matter. I think he believes he can somehow convince you to part with one of your guards.”

Eggsy crossed his arms. “What’s his problem?” 

“Well…” Harry sighed. “He isn’t exactly _fond_ of Brogue, in any capacity. But then, he grew up in a  time when things were more tumultuous between our kingdoms. 

“So… What? How should I handle him?”

“Sir Gawain’s a difficult man, to be sure, but he’s not an idiot. If two members of royalty are against him, then he’ll likely leave the matter alone.” The king then leaned forwards, and a different expression came over his face. He seemed now to be almost… hesitant. “And, while the two of us protest against him on one matter…”

Eggsy raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”

“I would, um… I would greatly appreciate it if you assisted me in trying to convince him to let women join Kingsman.”

There was a beat of silence, as Eggsy, startled, took a moment to observe the king’s face. Yes, there was definitely a hint of anxiety in his features, made more prominent with each passing second that Eggsy did not reply. Suddenly Eggsy understood.

“Harry…” he fought back a smile. “Are you… _scared_ of Sir Gawain?”

Almost immediately, the King of Oxford turned a bright shade of pink. “I- of course not, I simply-...”

When Eggsy could no longer help himself, and a smile of pure amusement bloomed on his face, Harry’s shoulders sagged with defeat as he leaned back to sink into his chair.

“The man has loomed over me for most of my life,” he muttered dourly. “Intimidation is a natural response.” He risked glancing at Eggsy again, and saw that the prince was still smiling widely. “What is it?” he asked, almost snappishly.

“Sorry,” the prince held up his hands. “It’s just… It’s hard to imagine _you_ being scared of anything.”

Harry’s features softened almost imperceptibly. “I am only human, Eggsy. Of course I’m scared of things.”

Eggsy only hummed in response.

“... You seem very… delighted.”

“Hm? Oh, well… It’s just kind of refreshing, you know?” Eggsy gave the king a lopsided grin. “It’s nice to know that I’m not marrying some untouchable god or something like that.”

Harry blushed. “I-I… I see. 

It was then that Eggsy became aware of how awkward the situation was. He coughed hastily into his fist and changed the subject. “A-Anyway… Uh, when would you like to talk to Sir Gawain?”

The king looked grateful for the change in topic. “Ah, yes… I believe after lunch would be best. The Kingsman finish their training shortly before then, and we should be able to finish before your next lesson with Merlin. How are those going, by the way?”

Eggsy grinned and began talking about his latest lesson- King Bernard and his architectural pursuits- while Harry listened attentively, and any tension that remained in the room dissipated as the conversation grew longer.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eggsy and Harry have a discussion with Sir Gawain, the leader of the Kingsman knights. They have limited success.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little shorter than normal, but I wanted to cut it off where I did because it seemed the most natural.  
> But man did I miss writing this AU.

Lunch had come and gone by faster than Eggsy anticipated, and soon he found himself walking down the halls with King Harry- their arms were linked together, as that had quickly become the norm; Eggsy barely even reacted when Harry offered his arm to him.

Behind them, Roxy followed, her face reading a combination of anxious and excited. She’d insisted on tagging along once she’d heard that they were going to talk to Sir Gawain, and once Lady Roxanne wanted something, it was very difficult to reject her.

So the three of them- plus Harry’s guards, Bedivere and Kay, making it five- reached what Eggsy had been told were the Kingsman training halls. A large set of ornate double doors were pulled open by the guards, revealing a training room _much_ larger than the one Eggsy and Roxy had been using- which, frankly, Eggsy didn’t think was possible.

At least sixty people were in the room at the time, some wearing the traditional armor of a Kingsman knight, while many had on simpler black outfits. Harry told him that the trainees waiting to become knights wore such outfits until their training was completed. And predictably, there wasn’t a single woman in sight.

Harry was quickly noticed, and many of the room’s occupants halted what they were doing to bow to their king. And a great many of them had their eyes on Eggsy, having heard of the Prince of Brogue’s arrival. Some, however, had their eyes on Roxanne, their gazes curious, if somewhat condescending.

Harry signaled for them all to return to their duties, and so they did. And the king nodded at Bedivere and Kay, allowing the knights to disperse into the room. After all, they hardly needed protection in a room filled the Kingsman. An older man, at least twenty years Harry’s senior yet still obviously physically fit, approached the trio with a raised eyebrow. He wore the Kingsman armor like a second skin, and the extra gold embellishments told Eggsy right away that he was the head knight, Sir Gawain.

“Your Majesty,” he said courteously, once he’d crossed the distance of the room. He glanced at Eggsy. “And this must be Prince Gary, of course.”

Eggsy bowed his head, keeping his eyes on the man, as he wasn’t quite sure what to expect.

When Gawain’s eyes landed on Roxy, he smiled thinly. “Lady Roxanne.”

“Sir Gawain,” she replied, stiffly.

Harry cleared his throat, summoning Gawain’s attention once more. “May we speak in private, Gawain?”

The knight nodded. “But of course, Your Majesty. This way.”

He led them through the training hall, allowing Eggsy to see more of it as they walked. The ceiling was remarkably high, and the repertoire of weapons stored within the room had items the young prince had never even seen before.

As they passed knights and trainees alike, Eggsy spotted a familiar face staring at him. It was Charles, Lord Chester’s nephew, whom he’d met just that morning. The young man was donning the simple black outfit the trainees wore, and a simple sword was clutched in his hand. Eggsy recalled Lord Chester’s words- ‘late for his own training’- and quickly understood. He nodded at the young man, mostly to gauge his reaction, and to his surprise, Charles _smiled_ and nodded back. Not that it was a particularly polite smile, more of a smirk actually, but he was expecting something far more disdainful, like what his uncle would have given him.

He quickly turned his attention away from Charles when Gawain reached a door, which he soon opened and motioned for the three of them to go inside. They did so, finding themselves in what must have been Gawain’s office. It was filled with garish ornaments and weapons of every sort hung on the walls. Chairs were already laid out neatly, and once Gawain gestured for the king to sit, everyone else soon followed.

“So,” the head knight said, leaning comfortably into his seat. “To what do I owe the pleasure, Harry?”

Eggsy was briefly put off by how casual the man sounded now, but Harry only let his eyebrow twitch to show his annoyance.

“Do you recall coming to me recently on the subject of Prince Gary’s guards?” replied the king.

“Ah, yes. Has the prince come to a decision about which he’d like to part with?” Gawain directed the statement at Eggsy.

“Actually,” he started, leveling a look at the older man, “Neither.”

Gawain raised an eyebrow. “I beg your pardon, Your Highness?”

“I would like to keep both Sirs Percival and Lancelot as my guards. And they’ve expressed a similar sentiment.” Eggsy managed to keep his face stoic, even as Sir Gawain leaned forward, his eyes narrowed in an intimidating glare at the young prince.

“I am sorry, Your Highness,” he muttered lowly, “but I made it quite clear to the king that such an arrangement would not be possible.”

“I hardly think so,” offered Harry. “I have two guards. Why should my fiancé have less protection? Especially considering how new he still is to Oxford.”

Gawain huffed. “Traditionally, the spouse of the current ruler of Oxford has always maintained only _one_ guard.”

“This is hardly a traditional union,” argued Eggsy, surprisingly himself as well as Roxy and Harry, who stared at him. “If I am correct, this is the first marriage to take place between Oxford and Brogue. Would it not make sense to offer more protection towards someone most of Oxford has seen as an enemy for many years?”

Gawain scowled. “Do you mean to say, Your Highness, that you feel unsafe in Oxford?”

“Not all the time,” he replied easily and honestly. “But it’s still a foreign land to me. And some of the looks I receive in the halls aren’t exactly… reassuring. Unfortunately, Harry can’t be beside me at all hours of the day, but having a _pair_ of guards on hand would certainly make things easier.”

Eggsy looked expectantly at the head knight, though he did spot, out of the corner of his eye, Harry’s awed-and slightly proud- smile directed at him.

Gawain, on the other hand, was definitely glaring at him now. “… Be that as it may, Your Highness, Sirs Percival and Lancelot are among our most elite knights.”

“Do you think that being assigned to Prince Gary’s guard is beneath them?” That was Roxy who spoke, causing all three men to look at her. She had a challenging expression on her face as she focused her attention on Gawain.

He paused for a moment, before offering her the same thin smile he had before. “Not at all, My Lady. I just think that it would be more advantageous for the kingdom if they focused on other duties. We can someone else to guard the Prince. I assure you, all of my knights are trained to a certain standard, so they will be more than suitable. Why, even a trainee could manage it, I think.”

Eggsy frowned. This man wasn’t going to let up without a fight. And he was infuriatingly condescending. But then, an idea struck the prince. He soon smiled pleasantly at Gawain, which shocked the older man just a bit.

“So I’ve heard. So, you honestly believe that only one guard is necessary for my protection?”

Gawain blinked, then smiled smugly, as he believed Eggsy was coming around to his side. “I do, Your Highness.”

Aware of Roxy and Harry’s stares, Eggsy pressed on. “And you also believe that you put your knights, no matter who they are, through rigorous enough training that even a recruit would be suitable?”

“Oxford accepts nothing short of the best for all its knights. That means extensive training.”

Eggsy hummed, making a show of considering the man’s words before he smirked. “So, if you were to… say, put Lady Roxanne in your training program, she would certainly become a knight capable of protecting royalty?”

The look of Gawain’s face was absolutely priceless, but more than that were the twin expressions of surprise on Roxy and Harry’s. Soon enough, the lady recovered, sending Eggsy a brilliant smile, while the king stifled laughter (in a perfectly gentlemanly manner) behind his hand.

Gawain settled into an angry glower. “I’m afraid women are an exception, Your Highness.”

“Why?” Eggsy shot back. “I’ve sparred with Lady Roxanne and found her extremely capable. King Harry believes this as well. Why should she not receive further training from Oxford’s finest?”

“I’ve already studied under Sirs Percival and Lancelot,” she added.

Gawain clenched his jaw. “It is not _appropriate_ for a woman to-“

“Oh, stop with this traditionalist nonsense, Gawain,” Harry practically groaned. “You have evaded every attempt of mine to give women a place in Kingsman. But Roxy is proof that such a move would be advantageous to the kingdom.”

“I am not the only one who thinks this, Sire,” argued Gawain back. “Lords Saville and Barker, for example- even Lady Hesketh agrees that it is unseemly for a woman to fight!”

“And yet there are just as many who share the opposite view. Lord Merlin, Sirs Percival and Lancelot, as well as Lord Higgins. And as I understand it, Lord Valentine has a daughter he has been privately tutoring in the art of swordsmanship.”

Eggsy noticed Roxy lean forward slightly, but his mind was too focused on Harry- strong, firm, utterly kingly Harry- to pay it much attention. Gawain sighed, leaning back in his chair with a tired expression.

“I can see there will be no persuading you from this matter, My Lord. So how about this? I will allow Lady Roxanne the opportunity to _try_ Kingsman’s training program.”

Everyone immediately brightened, but Gawain held up a hand to silence whatever words they were going to say.

“ _But!_ If she does not complete every single task laid before her, then I will have proven that women are simply not capable of becoming knights.”

“And how do we know you will not make her training harder than the other recruits?” asked Eggsy.

“You may check on her progress as often as you’d like,” replied Gawain. “I assure you, there will be no foul play involved.”

Harry considered his words for a long while before he finally nodded. “Very well then. When may she begin?”

“Tomorrow, if she wishes.”

Roxy grinned. “Thank you, Sir Gawain! I endeavor to prove you wrong!”

Gawain scoffed. “We shall see, Lady Roxanne.”

Minutes later, the trio strode triumphantly out of the training room, as the recruits and other knights watched them curiously. Gawain would likely announce the newest development to them later, but for now, Eggsy, Roxy, and Harry allowed themselves to back in the glory of the job well done.

Once they were out in the hall, Roxy twirled on her heel, still grinning widely.

“I can’t believe it! We did it!”

“We partially did it, dear girl,” corrected Harry. “This is still a trial run, mind you. Gawain is expecting you to fail.”

“Which she won’t,” Eggsy said, fervently. “Roxy is incredible. She’ll be amazing.”

Roxy sent him a dazzling smile, which he returned. Harry smiled too, fondly.

“Indeed. But I would like her to remain vigilant nonetheless.”

She nodded. “Of course, Uncle Harry.”

Roxy curtsied to them both before practically skipping down the corridor, leaving Eggsy and Harry totally alone.

“You were quite remarkable back there,” Harry spoke softly.

“Hm? Oh, that.” Eggsy blushed. “I think I might have been a little… rude.”

“Sir Gawain was easily more rude than you, Eggsy. All things considered, you handled the situation beautifully.” Harry smiled. “You will definitely be an asset in court.”

Then Eggsy took his turn to smirk. “Provided we agree on the same issues. Otherwise I will be a perfect nightmare.”

Harry laughed, and so did Eggsy, and without either of them noticing, their arms had linked together again as they walked down the opposite end of the hall.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clothing porn and other stuff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another kind of short chapter, but I think it's decent enough.

Roxy’s training began just a few short days later, which meant that she was beginning later than the recruits already there- but, according to Sir Percival, who had been monitoring her progress the most so far, that was no cause for concern. She’d caught up admirably quickly, which he was glad to note was a source of distress for Sir Gawain. But, well, there was nothing the senior knight could do about it, with him constantly being monitored by people who were looking out for the lady.

Eggsy was glad to hear it, though he already knew that Roxy- who was already his closest friend by that point- would succeed. There was nothing Gawain or anybody else could do to deter her from pursuing her dream. But, if he was being honest, then he would say that he was bit envious of the lady, since she got to spar and train all day. The prince, on the other hand, was stuck with his lessons.

Oh, and he was fitted for his new wardrobe the other day, so _that_ was something. In fact, the tailor had just sent word that most of his preliminary clothes were completed; he just needed to come in and do one last check to make sure they fit correctly.

Which is what Eggsy was currently doing, accompanied by only Sir Lancelot, as his husband was busy watching over Roxy.

It was a little melancholy, Eggsy thought, that he wouldn’t be able to wear his blue-and-silver clothes for much longer. Of course, Harry had ensured him that there was no dress code strictly requiring him to wear only black and gold, though it certainly seemed like most of Oxford’s nobility did anyway, so Eggsy could wear his Brogue clothes whenever he felt like it. At the same time, the prince was almost excited for the new wardrobe. It brought him closer to the kingdom he was eventually going to preside over with Harry at his side, and thinking about what the king would make of him then was hurrying the prince’s pace ever so slightly.

He and Lancelot arrived at the tailor’s workshop just as two people were leaving it. They looked familiar to Eggsy, as he’d seen them both at court on occasion, even if they weren’t a constant presence, like Merlin or, unfortunately, Lord Chester. The taller one was a man, who had dark skin and a frankly outrageous sense of fashion, if his brightly-colored outfit (which looked so un-Oxford it made Eggsy smile subconsciously) was any indication. Lord Valentine, he recalled Harry saying once. Which meant that the slender, pretty young woman by his side was his daughter, Lady Gazelle. She wore a plain black dress, but the skirt was lifted slightly in the front to show off her feet, which were, to Eggsy’s surprise, obviously prosthetic- he’d never spotted _that_ before. He didn’t let his eyes stick to the lady’s legs, as that would have been inappropriate, instead offering them both a smile and a bow.

Lord Valentine grinned back. “Prince Gary! Here for a change of clothes?” A small lisp was detected in his speech, but Eggsy elected to ignore it.

“Yes, I am,” he replied. “And you, Lord Valentine?”

“Oh, just picking up an order I made a while ago. What do you think?” The older lord spun on his heel, showing off the full ridiculousness of his outfit. The man was well-known for his eccentricity, apparently, as Lancelot was grinning with great amusement, but no hint of surprise.

“I think it suits you, My Lord,” Eggsy laughed, not unkindly.

“Why, thank you! You hear that, Gazelle? Our future king has a wonderful sense of style.”

Gazelle rolled her eyes, nudging her father with her elbow. “He only said that it suited you, not that it was stylish in any way.”

Valentine put a hand to his heart, faking an offended expression. “My own daughter! The nerve!”

She only shook her head and gave Eggsy an appraising look. “Anyway… I suppose congratulations are in order, Your Highness. We heard about what you did for Lady Roxanne- allowing her to train in Kingsman, I mean.”

“Oh,” Eggsy blinked. He was used to hearing congratulations for his upcoming nuptials. It was quite refreshing to hear something different. “Well, thank you, but King Harry helped with convincing Sir Gawain too…”

“But he never succeeded until now,” pointed out Valentine. “Good thing you two make a pretty good team. I’d hate for King Harry to not get along with his future husband.”

At that, Eggsy blushed, but he wasn’t embarrassed. Rather, he was quite glad to hear it.

“We shouldn’t keep you, you probably have a schedule to keep,” said Gazelle, taking her father’s arm and pulling him aside from the door. “Have a pleasant day, Your Highness.”

“And you as well,” he nodded. Just as Lord Valentine and his daughter turned around, Gazelle threw one last look over her shoulder and spoke.

“Lady Roxanne is training now, yes?” The question was directed to Lancelot.

“Yes, My Lady. Will you be checking in on her?”

There was amusement in Lancelot’s tone, but Gazelle merely smiled and turned around again, walking away in short, measured steps with her father. Eggsy raised an eyebrow. The knight ushered him into the workshop without another word.

The royal tailor, an older man named Andrew, was waiting for them inside. Eggsy had gotten to know the man through his fitting not too long ago, and his opinion of that man was a relatively good one. He was standing beside a table holding a sizeable box upon it.

He bowed to Eggsy and Lancelot both as they approached. “Your Highness, My Lord.”

Eggsy returned the greeting, and once the formalities were done with, Andrew turned to the box, pulled off the lid, and reached inside. He produced a stunning jacket, black with gold embellishments, including buttons and decorations on the lapels. Eggsy gaped at it, which caused the tailor to grin.

“I take it you like it, Your Highness?”

“It’s wonderful,” Eggsy breathed. “Really, Andrew, I don’t know what to say…”

“You needn’t say anything. Just try it on.”

As he spoke, Andrew pulled a few more items out of the box and handed them off to the prince. Eggsy immediately went to the dressing screen on the far end of the workshop. Andrew had given him a complete outfit, it seemed, including brand new shoes. He took off his clothes and pulled the new ones on fairly quickly, and minutes later, he stepped out, to the approving faces of Andrew and Sir Lancelot.

“Well?” he asked, opening his arms.

“Exquisite, Your Highness,” said Andrew, beaming.

Lancelot was looking over him fondly. “I admit, it’s strange not seeing you in blue. But it’s a good look, nonetheless.”

Eggsy grinned, turning to see himself in a nearby mirror. Indeed, he cut quite a dashing figure in black, if he did say so himself. In addition to the black and gold jacket, Andrew provided him with a white shirt, the collar of which was poking out from underneath his top layer, dark trousers, and the aforementioned black shoes. It wasn’t too much, and the gold embroidery only served to highlight the details of the outfit, not overpower it completely. By contrast, his silver and sapphire-encrusted crown looked out of place, but he would be receiving a new crown- a golden one- by the time the wedding came.

“It seems to fit perfectly,” observed Andrew, now looking at Eggsy with a critical eye. “Does it feel comfortable?”

“Yes,” said Eggsy, more than a little happily.

“Excellent. Then, I’ll have my assistants bring the rest of your wardrobe to your chambers. Would you like to keep that on, Your Highness?”

“Oh, please do, Eggsy,” Lancelot smirked. “Why not show King Harry Andrew’s work?”

The prince’s face reddened, to the knight’s delight, while Andrew looked bewildered at the name ‘Eggsy’. But he stuck his chin up and cleared his throat.

“You know, Sir Lancelot, I think I will do just that.”

Because yes, he was quite looking forward to Harry’s reaction. Would he like the clothes, or would he be too used to seeing Eggsy as a foreigner?

Eggsy was determined to find out.

 

* * *

 

Harry barely looked up as he heard a knight’s heavy, armored footsteps come into his study. A quick glance confirmed that it was Sir Bedivere who had come in.

“Sire,” the fair-haired Kingsman bowed his head.

“What is it?” Harry asked, his eyes focused on a piece of parchment detailing the patrol’s latest reports.

“Prince Gary would like to speak with you.”

Immediately, Harry’s eyes snapped up, the parchment completely forgotten. He felt a quick rush of happiness, which was soon replaced by worry. “Is something wrong?” he asked. Why else would Eggsy come to see him so shortly before dinner? Didn’t he have lessons with Merlin?

“No, Sire. Andrew has apparently finished the young prince’s new wardrobe, and he’d like to show it to you.”

The knight was smiling wisely, as if he knew something Harry didn’t. The king let his shoulders relax from their previously tense position.

“Ah.”

“Unless you’re busy?”

“No, no,” he said hurriedly. “Please, send him in.”

Bedivere bowed and exited the room. Harry fidgeted in his seat, mind already running wild with images of what Eggsy now looked like- he imagined his face, gorgeous as it was, was the same, but clothes could change a lot of a person’s appearance. He was so used to seeing Eggsy in blues and silvers that made his eyes look like the sea. Would his eyes be different when complimented by black and gold?

He had to wait only a few moments for the answer. Eggsy strode into his study, smiling gently but shyly, and Harry was quite glad he was sitting down. Surely his knees would have buckled at the sight before him.

Eggsy was absolutely resplendent. His eyes were greener than ever, though the reflection of the gold on his jacket made flecks of the same color dance about in his irises. He stood as an elegant figure in the middle of the room, even as he shifted nervously. It was then Harry realized that his mouth had dropped open, and he’d yet to say anything, even a hello, to his fiancé.

Curse that boy and his beauty.

“Eggsy,” Harry started, thanking whatever gods could hear him that his voice had not cracked. “You look…” Breathtaking. Gorgeous. Stunning. “You look wonderful.”

Damn it.

Eggsy deflated a bit, as though he were expecting more of a response, which made Harry internally kick himself even more. But the boy soon smiled again, stepping closer to the king at his desk.

“Thank you. Your tailor is really quite talented.”

“Yes… Andrew has made most of my clothing since I became king.”

“Ah. So _he’s_ why you always seem so gallant.”

Color rose to the king’s cheeks. “I like to think that’s due to a great deal more than clothes, Eggsy.”

He laughed at that. “Of course it is, Harry. I’m only teasing.”

Harry relaxed at the sound of his laughter. “But I do mean it, you know. That you look incredible.”

Eggsy’s smile was soft and unguarded. “I know. But, well… My crown looks a little funny now, doesn’t it?”

“Perhaps. But you will get a new crown, once we are…” he swallowed, trailing off.

“Once we’re married,” Eggsy finished, a strange look on his face. “Well, until then, I’ll have to deal with a mismatched crown, I suppose.” He raised his arm to scratch at his neck, which is when Harry noticed it- a glint of silver on the boy’s wrist.

“Not entirely mismatched,” he murmured, eyes trained on the glint- a bracelet, he could tell, and even at that distance he saw the tiny sapphires inside it. Eggsy was looking at his wrist in surprise, as though he’d forgotten he was wearing such a thing. “A trinket from home?”

“Oh, this? Yes, this was gift from my mother. It’s something of a family heirloom, really.” Eggsy’s look became sheepish.

“Oh?” Harry smiled, his interest piqued.

“Well… Traditionally, the heir of Brogue has given to the bracelet to a loved one. Even if that someone was not their spouse, or even nobility.”

“A-Ah…” At once, Harry felt uncomfortable. But at least Eggsy did too, as he refused to make eye contact with the king. It was quite clear that Eggsy wouldn’t be giving the bracelet to anyone in Oxford, least of all Harry. At least, it seemed that way. Perhaps Eggsy would meet a nice lad or lass of his own age someday, and give the bracelet to them, all the while wearing the wedding ring that bound him to Harry.

Harry suddenly felt a bit sick.

“I suppose I’ll give it to my sister, when she comes of age,” Eggsy was saying, hastily. “She’ll probably have more use for it.”

“Y-Yes.” Harry coughed into his fist, and an awkward silence settled over them.

“W-Well,” muttered Eggsy, staring demurely down at his brand new boots, “I should really be going. I have a lesson with Merlin.”

“Yes. I’ll, erm… I’ll see you at dinner.”

Eggsy nodded. “See you.”

He turned and walked away quickly. Harry waited until he heard the door shut behind him, and then he sank into his chair and fought off the urge to groan. He’d made a fool of himself, somehow. He wasn’t exactly sure how or when during the conversation, but the heat on his face proved that fact.

Of course Eggsy would never think to give the bracelet to Harry, he as almost positive of that, and he even accepted it. He was at least sure that Eggsy was fond of him, as one would be towards a friend. Harry had certainly done his best to accommodate the prince, be a good host, even if somewhere along the way he’d fallen for the boy’s natural charms. It was really all he could ask for in an arranged marriage.

But that Eggsy thought he’d _never_ give the bracelet to _anyone_ … It tugged at Harry’s heart, albeit in a very confusing way. On one hand, he was saddened by the fact that Eggsy didn’t believe he’d find love in Oxford. On the other, he was selfishly hoping that such a thing wouldn’t happen. In the short while Eggsy had been in the kingdom- nearly a month now- Harry was positive that seeing the young prince in love with someone else would break him.

The king groaned aloud this time, staring up at the ceiling of his study.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gdi Eggsy you're so dense


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prince Gary is presented to Oxford's general public, and all seems to be going well. That is, until a tour of the kingdom goes awry...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JFC THIS TOOK FOREVER
> 
> I'M SORRY
> 
> but hey, nine pages ain't bad

* * *

 

After yet another week, Merlin stood up at dinner and announced that the paperwork surrounding the alliance had been finalized; all that was left now was for Harry and Eggsy to actually get married.

Though, actually, that wasn’t exactly true; before that, Eggsy had to be introduced to the general public of Oxford.

This is how the young prince found himself waiting in one of the more elaborate halls on the highest level of the palace, pacing nervously in one of his Oxford-styled outfits, with Roxy and Merlin waiting patiently beside him. A significant number of Kingsman guards surrounded them, and more were posted by the large door that led out to a balcony which beheld a gorgeous view of the city. Harry was currently out on that balcony, speaking to the masses gathered in the courtyard below, going on about the ‘strength of the kingdom’ and the ‘importance of peace’, words Eggsy was almost certain had been written by Merlin, not Harry, because the king seemed fairly stiff while speaking. Though Merlin said that was because he was nervous.

Why should _Harry_ be nervous, Eggsy had replied. _He_ wasn’t the one about to be introduced to an entire city of people who probably thought of him as an enemy. Eggsy had far more justifiable reasons to be anxious.

Roxy tried assuring him that everything was going to be fine- rumors about the king’s mysterious guest within the castle had spread to the commoners, and none of those rumors seemed particularly vicious. They were more… well, judging by Roxy’s smirk, they were quite _salacious,_ which is when Eggsy had tuned her out, choosing to instead focus more on his inner turmoil and anxiety.

Eggsy was snapped out of his reverie when Merlin nudged his arm, and he turned to face the advisor, who gestured to the balcony. Harry was wrapping up the main part of the speech, so Eggsy had to be ready to make his grand entrance.

The prince straightened his back, all too aware of the silver and blue crown on his head that marked him as an outsider, and focused on his fiancé.

“With all that in mind, it is with great pleasure that I tell you all: such a war will never come to fruition between the kingdoms of Oxford and Brogue. For King Lee and I have reached an arrangement which will lead to an alliance of peace between our lands; I am to marry his son, Prince Gary.”

As expected, the crowd grew louder, murmurs of surprise drifting around the courtyard. But to Eggsy’s confusion, there were no shouts of anger, indignant responses, nothing that had transpired at the court. Harry had noticed this as well, but seized it as an opportunity to continue on, calm and collected.

“Prince Gary arrived weeks ago, and has settled comfortably into the palace.” The king then turned, looking behind him at Eggsy, whom the crowd could yet not see. He smiled gently and held out a hand.

Merlin all but shoved the prince forward, something he was actually grateful for, since he’d apparently forgotten how to move his legs. Eggsy stumbled, but managed to recapture an air of grace and dignity as he approached Harry. He schooled his face into an expression of regality as he placed his hand in Harry’s, and allowed the king to bring him forward to the railings of the balcony.

Eggsy could see down into the courtyard now; at least two hundred people were gathered, all clamoring to get a glimpse of their future king. Many of their faces read with wonder or, shockingly, _hope._ It confused Eggsy further, and Harry took notice. He gingerly circled his arm around Eggsy, warmth from his body seeping towards the prince, as his hand settled on the small of Eggsy’s back. He had never been so bold before, but instead of feeling tense, Eggsy felt his body relax into the touch. Harry smiled at him again before turning his head to address the people.

“My fiancé and your future ruler: Prince Gary Unwin of Brogue!”

And the people _erupted_ with cheers.

At that point, everything afterwards blended together in Eggsy’s mind; he vaguely recalled reciting the speech Merlin had written for him, the people below them looking up in awe. And he clearly remembered the way Harry’s arm never left his body, as though it were an anchor keeping the prince from stumbling.

Eventually the king took over again, making some parting remark, which was met with even more applause, and then Harry was helping Eggsy back inside. Eggsy was staring, dumbfounded, at nothing, until Roxy ran up to him and enveloped him in a fierce hug.

“They loved you!” she remarked, beaming at him. He grinned back weakly.

Merlin was smiling as well, his arms crossed over his chest. “Well. It certainly seems as though the people approve. It appears that they were more invested in peace than the court.”

“Not that that’s really a surprise,” the king chuckled. He nodded to a few of the Kingsmen, who departed to return to their original posts, and then he turned to Eggsy, who was still a bit shocked. “Are you alright, Eggsy?”

“I’m… I’m fine. Just a little surprised. I didn’t… think it would be that easy.”

“I wonder what the reaction was back in Brogue?” wondered Roxy.

King Lee had sent Eggsy a letter telling him that they planned to announce the marriage a few days earlier, but the prince had yet to receive any word back on how it went. Though, Eggsy couldn’t imagine that there were any riots or upheavals; he liked to think that his people craved peace just as much as Oxford’s apparently did. Well, he’d just have to wait and see.

Eggsy was brought out of his musings by the sound of Merlin’s voice; the advisor had been speaking for quite a while, it seemed, so Eggsy only caught the end of his spiel.

“With such a favorable response, I think we can schedule Eggsy’s tour of the capital a bit earlier.”

“Really?” he found himself asking, eyes wide. The tour was originally meant to take place two weeks from then, and though Eggsy now knew that he was welcomed in Oxford (by the common folk, at least), he couldn’t help but feel a spike of anxiety at the news.

“If you are amenable,” Harry was quick to say, offering a consoling arm to the prince. Eggsy quickly wrapped his own arm around it, barely aware of Merlin and Roxy’s raised eyebrows.

“… Will you be there?” Eggsy murmured quietly, trying not to give the lady and the advisor any more to be surprised about.

“Of course. Admittedly, it’s been a while since I’ve been out among the people myself.” Harry smiled gently at him. “Besides, they might as well get used to seeing the two of us together.”

Eggsy cracked a tiny grin in return.

“Yes.”

 

* * *

 

Eggsy felt as though only a day had gone by since his introduction to the commoners, but in reality, it had been almost a week. Perhaps it was because that week was so hectic, with everyone running about, getting everything prepared for the prince’s first official tour of the kingdom he was to eventually preside over. Much had happened, including a letter from King Lee, which revealed that the citizens of Brogue had been… more or less happy with the announcement. Naturally, many were upset that Eggsy would no longer rule Brogue, but a great deal more were relieved that a war with Oxford was now practically impossible.

On a more personal note, however, Princess Daisy was becoming increasingly difficult, demanding to see her brother, and not quite understanding what everyone meant when they told her that he was no longer living in the kingdom. Eggsy’s heart went out to his poor little sister, but there wasn’t much he could do for her other than send his love via a letter.

And besides that, Eggsy couldn’t really let his mind linger on home; not when he was about to tour his new one with his future husband. When the preparations were completed, Eggsy met with Harry and a large group of Kingsman knights in the courtyard- among them were Lancelot and Percival, to the prince’s relief. The royals got on their horses (Eggsy’s being a beautiful brown mare, an early wedding gift from the stable master) and then they rode into the capital city.

The people had long since been lined up along the paths, clamoring over each other for a chance to catch a better look of their future king. Eggsy was quite relived to find that many of them were smiling, and when he glanced over at Harry beside him, he saw the king smiling proudly back. A surge of warmth coursed through the prince, as well as a new sense of confidence, so he grinned out to the crowd, feeling the tension slowly melt from his body as they continued on.

The tour mainly comprised of several stops among the more well-known attractions in the city, such as the cathedral, the theatre, and of course, the market.

Each stop was marked by Harry and Eggsy pausing to exchange a few pleasantries with whomever happened to be there. The archbishop was a kindly older man, though he didn’t say much rather than ‘Your Highness’ to Eggsy (then again, the prince supposed he would see the archbishop again when the wedding came around). A troupe of actors greeted the royals at the theatre, dressed as though they’d come straight from rehearsals, and they were such an energetic lot that Eggsy found himself endeared to them instantly, and was quite pleased when Harry later whispered to him that the troupe would be performing at the ball following the wedding.

All in all, Eggsy was in a far better mood by the time they came to the market. Thus, his relaxed attitude and easy grace made him easy to grow fond of, and it seemed as though the tour was a complete success.

They stood by the stalls, listening to each merchant explain the wares they sold (and the discount they would offer to the royals, should they ever happen to stop by). Eggsy and Harry had their arms intertwined once more, though to the ordinary outsider, it merely appeared as a formality, that they were only doing what was expected of an engaged couple. Eggsy figured it was better that they didn’t realize how easy it now was to be in the king’s personal space, and how relieved he was that Harry didn’t seem to mind in the slightest. 

Percival and Lancelot stood to one side of the couple, while Bedivere and Kay were on the other, and the other Kingsman knights formed a protective line that kept the commoners at a safe distance.

Eggsy had been listening politely to one merchant talk about his fabrics, so one could hardly blame him for not paying attention to the crowd. But Percival spotted him; a young man amongst the people, draped in a dark red cloak, his expression strangely neutral in a sea of smiles. The young man raised his arm to chest-level, revealing an oddly-shaped gauntlet on his wrist. It bore an eerie resemblance to a crossbow, though much smaller; the man, hardly noticed by his fellow commoners, aimed the gauntlet at Eggsy, and that spurred Percival to action.

The knight dashed for the prince and pushed him, causing him to collide with Harry just as the man’s gauntlet shot out a thin metal bolt, which soon found itself embedded in the post of the merchant’s stall.

There was immediate chaos- people screamed and scrambled for cover, and all Eggsy could register was Harry’s worried voice calling his name as Kay and Lancelot ushered them away to a safer location.

 

* * *

 

“… _ggsy?_ Eggsy!”

Eggsy gasped, startled out of his daze, and stared at Harry. The king had a hand on either side of Eggsy’s face, and his eyes held equal amounts of concern and panic.

“Eggsy, are you alright?” he asked again, his voice suspiciously strained.

“I…” The prince blinked a few times, trying to register where they were. Their surroundings consisted of a stone archway, which they were underneath, and a deserted street. Kay and Lancelot stood, on their guards, scanning the area for any sign of danger. The prince closed his mouth and swallowed the lump in his throat before he answered, more coherently, “I’m fine. I’m okay, Harry.”

Harry let out a relieved exhale.

“What happened?” asked Eggsy.

“Assassination attempt,” answered Kay, briskly.

“A _botched_ assassination attempt,” said Lancelot next, shooting the senior knight a stern look. “Percival, Bedivere, and the others fanned out to look for the perpetrator. We really must head back to the palace, Your Majesty, for Prince Gary’s safety.”

Harry nodded, detaching his hands from Eggsy’s face, leaving the prince feeling a bit colder than he was before. “Yes, of course. We’ll take the tunnels; it’s unlikely anyone would follow us that way.”

Lancelot and Kay both affirmed their king’s idea, and moved from under the archway to some nondescript alley Eggsy hadn’t noticed before. With Harry gently ushering him along, Eggsy followed suit, though he wasn’t sure where they were headed- they seemed to be going _away_ from the palace, not towards it.

All was revealed, however, once they reached a stone wall, seemingly a dead end. But then Kay reached out, felt around the wall, and pressed on a particular stone- the wall soon gave way, revealing a hidden passage.

It occurred to Eggsy, sometime later, that Oxford was quite fond of secret passages.

The knights preceded the royals as they went inside what appeared to be a long tunnel system, lit with sconces on the walls. Eggsy couldn’t bring himself to comment upon the tunnels, what with the excitement of the day and subsequent trauma still bearing down on him. So he opted to burrow closer to Harry’s side instead; the king was characteristically compassionate, as he wrapped one arm around Eggsy’s waist in a show of sympathy, and let it remain there as they trekked through the tunnels.

Soon enough, though it had felt to Eggsy like they’d been walking for hours, Kay and Percival stopped and another secret door was opened. They all clambered out, and to Eggsy’s further surprise, they were in the hidden area in the throne room, where he and Merlin had been waiting that first day Eggsy met the court of Oxford.

Kay closed the passage to the tunnels (obscuring it with the landscape painting the prince had first observed when he entered the room all those weeks ago), and turned to the royals, awaiting further instructions.

Harry obliged. “Call for an emergency meeting. I want everyone in the council room within the hour, do you understand?”

Kay bowed, answering with a resolute, “Yes, Your Majesty,” before he took his exit. Lancelot remained behind, presumably to guard Harry and Eggsy.

“Eggsy,” Harry spoke, catching the prince’s attention. The king’s worried expression was back. “Perhaps Lancelot could escort you back to your chambers.”

That, however, snapped the prince out of whatever trance he’d been in. “What? Why?”

“This has been a very chaotic day,” said the king. “If you would prefer to rest, no one would hold it against you.”

“Harry, someone tried to kill me,” Eggsy replied, his voice flat but eyes impassioned. Harry recoiled in response, wincing as though Eggsy had slighted his person. “I’m not going to just go and hide in my room like a child!”

“It would be safer that way,” Harry contended. “Until we find the man responsible for the attempt on your _life,_ your safety is my main concern.” His tone left no room for argument, so of course, Eggsy did.

“Wouldn’t I be just as safe by your side? If you and your council are going to talk about how to protect me, _I’d_ like to be able to have a say in it as well!”

 They were left staring defiantly at each other, though Harry’s eyes had softened marginally at Eggsy’s outburst. It was Sir Lancelot who broke the silence, with a politely-made cough.

“Pardon me, Your Majesty, but I agree with Eggsy.”

Harry looked astounded, while Eggsy grinned smugly. “I beg your pardon?”

“It would be just as safe, if not safer, to have the prince stay by your side, rather than lock him in his room for an indeterminable amount of time. And it would be more considerate to allow him to at least sit in on the council meeting.” Lancelot sent them both a good-natured smile. “And besides, he’ll be much less grumpy if we comply with his wishes.”

Eggsy mouthed a ‘thank-you’ to the knight just before Harry turned to him again. He looked up at the king and spoke earnestly.

“Harry, I’ll be fine. I’m not about to ruin the people’s impression of their future king by hiding in fear. I doubt _you_ would do that.”

Harry frowned, his brow furrowing. He was so quiet that Eggsy prepared another response to whatever counter-argument the king was about to offer, only to deflate in surprise when Harry let out a grudging, “Alright.”

Eggsy opened his mouth, a bright smile on his lips, but Harry held up a finger to pause him.

“But, you _must_ remain close to me at all times, until we can settle on a better arrangement for your protection. Are we clear?”

Eggsy’s smile softened. “Yes, Harry.”

The king let out a small breath, though Eggsy couldn’t tell if it was a huff or a sigh. “Yes, well… We’d best get to the council room, then.”

Lancelot held the door open for them as the royals cautiously stepped out of the hidden area. He looked at the prince with a large smirk, as though that exchange was somehow revealing or embarrassing. Eggsy merely held on tighter to Harry’s arm and kept his head high as his fiancé led the way.

 

* * *

 

As Harry expected, all of the council was in quite the state when they received news of the assassination attempt. Even Lady Roxanne had shown up, despite not actually being a member of Harry’s council, dressed in her training gear, though it seemed she only came so that she could stand by Sir Lancelot at Eggsy’s side, looking every bit as protective and furious as Harry himself felt. The prince didn’t seem to mind the lady’s determination to act as his shield, though he did seem rather exasperated with the council as a whole.

And honestly, Harry was starting to get a bit annoyed with them as well. He’d cleared his throat twice now and the assembled lords and ladies had yet to quiet down (and really, with their only being about ten or so of them in there, you wouldn’t think they could make such noise). It wasn’t until Merlin, in his usual stern voice, demanded their attention by shouting that they actually settled into their seats. Harry sent his advisor a grateful glance, and then looked around the room at his council.

Oxford’s council as comprised mainly of members of the gentry that Harry knew he could trust- Merlin being the most obvious example, though there were a few others, such as Lord Higgins and Lady Tilde, whose advice the king valued just as dearly. But, of course, Merlin had told him that a few contentious opinions could prove just as vital, so there were a few there that Harry didn’t exactly get along with. Lady Eynsford in particular was giving both the king _and_ the prince a rotten look. Were the circumstances not so dire, Harry would have spoken on it, but, now that he finally had their attention, he was not going to waste it on Lady Eynsford’s appalling manners.

“I am sure you all understand the gravity of the situation. It is only due to the vigilance of the Kingsmen that Prince Gary is here unharmed.”

Several titters resulted from that, mainly comprised of expressions of concern for the prince’s wellbeing. Many commented that perhaps he should be resting, but a stern look from Eggsy quickly told the council that the young prince had no intention of doing such a thing. Once they all quieted down, Harry continued.

“Sirs Percival, Bedivere, Ector, and Bors are out looking for the assassin as we speak. Hopefully we shall have a full report and the man in custody by the end of the day. However, we will still need to strengthen our security measures for the foreseeable future, in case something like this happens again.”

“Suffice to say that the prince’s security should be doubled,” spoke Lord Higgins, in a genuinely concerned tone. “He must be constantly supervised.”

“Now, hold on,” Eggsy spoke up, frowning.

“Surely you aren’t disagreeing, My Lord?” asked Lady Eynsford with a barely-disguised sneer. “Unless you find our Kingsman incompetent.”

“I never said such a thing,” glared Eggsy. “I just don’t think Kingsman’s resources should be focused solely on me. Sirs Percival and Lancelot did a fine job of protecting me today, and I expect they will continue to do so _on their own._ The rest of the knights should focus their efforts on finding the assassin and protecting the palace in general.”

Lord Higgins looked astonished. “Do you think others are at risk, Your Highness?”

“Perhaps. It’s definitely true that I may be the assassin’s prime target, but it’s safe to say that whoever’s behind this is not happy with the alliance.”

“So anyone who agrees with the alliance could also be in danger,” finished Merlin, his face pensive. “That _is_ a possibility…”

Harry glanced quickly at Eggsy; despite his exasperation with the young prince and his refusal to follow protocol, he was hard-pressed to deny the admiration he felt for how he took charge of the council. Eggsy was certainly not going to a pushover-sort of king.

“So Sirs Percival and Lancelot will remain as the prince’s guards,” said Harry, tearing his eyes away from his fiancé, “while the rest of Kingsman will increase the security around the rest of the palace. Sir Gawain, is that agreeable to you?”

The senior knight, whose place at the table was just beside Harry and across from Merlin, nodded solemnly. It seemed that, whatever disagreements the man had about Brogue (as he was one of the few on the council who had doubts about the alliance), he understood that Prince Gary’s protection was now his main priority.

“And, Sir Gawain,” spoke up another lord from down the table, “is it at all possible you could speed up the training process for the new recruits? I wager we’ll need more knights to accommodate this increase in security.”

Sir Gawain paused for a moment, and Harry might have imagined the way his eyes flickered disdainfully towards Roxanne. “… It is possible, My Lord. But I doubt this year’s recruits would benefit from such a thing. They’re still _very_ inexperienced.”

“My son Hugo is among those recruits,” pointed out Lord Higgins with a frown. “As is Lord Hesketh’s boy.”

“And Lady Roxanne,” said Eggsy. He and the lady in question were glaring daggers at the senior knight, to Harry’s amusement. Sir Gawain merely ignored them and shrugged his shoulders.

“I mean no offense, My Lord. I’ll see what I can do.”

“Right,” said Harry. “Then, until we receive further news concerning the assassin, this meeting is adjourned.”

The king watched as the lords and ladies slowly shuffled out of the room. Sir Gawain was among the last to leave, throwing a sideways glance to Roxy and Eggsy before he did, gone before Harry could call him out on his behavior. Merlin gave the prince a consoling pat on the shoulder, and as Roxy had to resume her training, she engulfed Eggsy in one last hug before departing with the advisor. Lancelot, Kay, and Harry were the only ones left besides the young prince.

“Well, that went better than I expected,” commented Lancelot. “I was certain Gawain or Lady Eynsford would make more commotion.” He grinned, even as Kay sent him a disapproving glare. Kay wasn’t the sort to speak ill of his superiors.

“I am merely grateful they didn’t,” Harry sighed. He turned to Eggsy. “You’re certain you don’t want to rest, Eggsy?”

The prince huffed. “No, Harry.”

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Then until Sir Percival returns, you will have to accompany me to my study. And I have a lot of paperwork to do,” he added, hoping that would act as a deterrent to the prince’s stubborn behavior.

Alas. “Nice try, Harry, but I’m not going to my room.” Without preamble, Eggsy took Harry’s arm and began pulling him towards the door. An amused Lancelot and stoic Kay followed behind them, as Harry himself looked momentarily stunned. “I can put up with you signing papers for however long it takes.”

Harry recovered and sent the prince a small frown. “Your father mentioned you would be stubborn…”

Eggsy responded with a charmingly cheeky grin over his shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> he's a charming little shit and you love it, Harry
> 
> Hopefully the next installment won't take weeks otl


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Eggsy get to spend more time together in the wake of the assassination attempt. It's not the best excuse for bonding, but they'll take it.

Having grown up with a king as a father, Eggsy was no stranger to the more… administrative aspects of ruling a kingdom. As a child, he’d often go to his father’s study, only to find the man buried behind an entire _mountain_ of paperwork. It was one of the things he was not looking forward to as a ruler, even as Lee insisted that it wasn’t as bad as it seemed. When Eggsy became of age at eighteen, Lee had tried proving that the paperwork wasn’t so dull, but by the fortieth or so document Eggsy groggily affixed his signature to, even the King of Brogue decided that a ‘quick break’ was in order.

Predictably, Lee and Eggsy never set foot in the study for the rest of the day.

Eggsy had nearly forgotten about such duties, as Lee never forced him to endure _that_ again. But he was reminded a mere half-hour after he and Harry arrived at the latter’s study.

At first, he’d amused himself by studying the interior of the room- it was very similar to Harry’s chambers, with the elegant gold embellishments here and there, and the dark oak furnishings. The walls were lined with books, most likely about the history of Oxford (he recognized a few titles from the mandatory readings Lord Merlin assigned during his lessons), and on Harry’s desk was a sizeable amount of paperwork. Not a mountain, per se, but close enough.

He’d also noticed, at about the hour mark, that Harry had the patience of a _saint._ His calm, composed expression hadn’t changed since they set foot into the study, and his hand maintained a strong grip on his pen as his dark brown eyes scanned the documents.

It had taken Eggsy a few minutes to realize that he was staring at his fiancé, but he could hardly be chastised for it, as focused as Harry was on his work- and Sirs Lancelot and Kay were outside the room. Still, he looked away with a slight blush marring his complexion.

Perhaps he should have been more shaken up, Eggsy mused, once he recovered from his internal embarrassment. He _was_ almost killed today, after all. But then again, an assassination attempt was to be expected; it was one of Queen Michelle’s main fears regarding the engagement, and King Lee, to his own chagrin, had very little to say on the matter, aside from a comment on Oxford’s excellent Kingsman guards. Which Eggsy had to admit was true- he wouldn’t be sitting next to Harry at that moment were it not for Sir Percival.

It wasn’t that he _wasn’t_ affected by the attempt on his life. He was, in fact, terrified. But somehow, it was hard to feel particularly scared once he was away from the unguarded outside, safe in the palace. Safe with the Kingsmen right outside the door.

Safe with Harry a mere few feet away from him.

Eggsy blushed again and let out a small huff, pressing his palms against his cheeks in an effort to cool them down. Unfortunately, this small action got Harry’s attention, and the king looked up with raised eyebrow.

“Are you alright?” he asked, for about the eighth time that day. Eggsy tried not to feel amused.

He lowered his hands from his face. “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? Because I know this is quite tedious.” To his credit, Harry did sound genuinely apologetic, even if his goal earlier was to get Eggsy to retire to his room for some rest.

“It’s not that bad, Harry. I used to sit in on my father’s work, you know.” Well. It wasn’t _completely_ a lie. But it made Harry’s shoulders relax minutely, so Eggsy was content to let it stand.

The king offered a conciliatory smile. “As did I. Though, it was all my father could do to keep me in the room. I was always trying to run off.”

“No,” Eggsy gaped, astonished. “ _You?”_

“As I recall, he once sent out an entire party of Kingsmen to search for me. When I was found in the South Hall’s library, he had to post a Kingsman at every conceivable exit of the study to keep me from absconding.” Harry grinned at the memory. “But Merlin always helped me find… creative ways of escaping.”

Eggsy let out a startled laugh, for he really hadn’t expected Harry to be that sort of man. Merlin mentioned him finding ways to escape the court, but something as simple as paperwork?

“You sounded like a terror.”

“For my father, at least,” he conceded. “But eventually, I settled down. Mostly due to my father’s health at the time.”

“Ah…” Eggsy’s features immediately sobered. “How old were you, when he…?”

“Twenty-five,” replied Harry, smiling gingerly. “It’s quite alright, Eggsy. I’ve had my time to grieve, and he passed peacefully.”

Eggsy sent a shy smile in return. A few moments of silence passed before he spoke again.

“… I actually hate paperwork,” he confessed, earning another raised eyebrow from his fiancé. But Harry seemed amused more than anything. “And so does my father. The one time he made me sit in on a session, we both quit an hour later.”

Harry laughed, and Eggsy relished in the sound. “Well, with any luck, you won’t have to do too much after your coronation. I’ve always managed this aspect of things just fine.”

At that, Eggsy frowned. “Won’t it be easier if I help?”

Unless Harry was concerned that Eggsy wouldn’t understand the affairs of the kingdom. Which was ridiculous, considering that was half the reason Eggsy was being tutored by Merlin, anyway.

“If you find it tedious, I would rather you focus your attention on your other duties,” said Harry, not unkindly. “Holding court, for example, or presiding over justice cases. Those are a few things I would not mind some help in.”

“There are very few parts of kinghood that _aren’t_ tedious,” he reminded Harry. “If we’re to be equals, than I want to do the same jobs and duties as you. We’ll just share them- _equally,_ yes?”

Harry stared at him, for such a long while that Eggsy thought perhaps he’d spoken out of turn. But then the King of Oxford smiled- that particular smile that the prince was beginning to recognize only appeared whenever Harry was awed or proud of him.

“If you’re certain,” he said. “Just don’t complain when you’re bored out of your mind and your wrist is cramping from all the signatures.”

Eggsy ‘hmphed’, crossing his arms with a faux haughty expression. “Really Harry, what do you think I’ve been preparing for all my life? Between the two of us, running a kingdom will be even easier.”

“Would you like to put that to the test?” Harry leaned back in his chair and gestured towards the dwindling pile of papers on his desk.

Eggsy’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “What- really?”

“If you are so confident, then yes, by all means.” Harry was smirking, like he was challenging the younger man to some sort of contest. “Don’t worry; I won’t let you accidentally start a war by signing the wrong document.”

The prince fought the urge to roll his eyes. Instead, he stood up from his chair and marched over to Harry. The king also stood, vacating his seat, indicating for Eggsy to take his place. Eggsy did so, ignoring the leftover heat from Harry’s body that stuck to the chair, and focused his eyes on the papers.

“Most of these are reports,” Harry said, his voice coming from over Eggsy’s shoulder as he leaned over his fiancé. “Either from Kingsman or our Heads of Staff. The former will usually require a signature to approve or disapprove of a position change, patrol route, or an arrest. The latter usually asks for permission to buy supplies and food.”

Eggsy nodded, listening carefully to the king’s every word. The document currently in front of him was from the head cook, asking for more potatoes and carrots, for the upcoming wedding.

“I can’t just sign them all haphazardly, though, right?” The prince tilted his head up to look at Harry.

“No,” the king smiled, happy that Eggsy had the foresight to ask. “First, you need to make sure that the request corroborates with the budget. And with the Kingsman reports, you need to make sure the request isn’t at odds with any other. For this one, however, I think there’s more than enough money for extra vegetables.”

“Right then,” Eggsy nodded, lifting the pen off the desk. Suddenly, he paused. “Wait.”

“What is it?”

“Will it count?” The young man’s voice was uncertain. “I mean, I’m not king yet. I’m still just the prince of a foreign country.”

“Oh, that.” Harry waved his hand dismissively. “Both Roxy and Merlin have signed reports for me before, with no problem. As long as they’re not vitally important documents concerning the state of the kingdom, you’ll be fine until your coronation.”

Accepting that explanation, Eggsy returned his attention to the paper and quickly put his signature on the appropriate line. His signature was not as long and looping as Harry’s, but nonetheless, seeing it on an official Oxford document made Eggsy beam with pride- a pride he hadn’t been expecting to hold when he first arrived in the kingdom. He picked up the paper and placed it in the pile that held the other signed documents, and turned to look up at Harry again. The king was smiling kindly down at him.

“See?” the prince grinned. “Not so hard.”

“Just you wait, Eggsy,” chuckled Harry.

Then, rather unceremoniously, the doors to Harry’s study were wrenched open, startling both royals. Lord Merlin stood on the other side of the threshold, not looking at all abashed about his rude entrance. Lancelot and Kay were staring in shock at the advisor, indicating that he’d merely walked up to the door and stormed in, without announcing the reason why.

Still, the lord paused in the doorway, observing Eggsy seated in Harry’s chair, and Harry leaning casually over him. He raised an eyebrow.

Immediately, Harry straightened his back and coughed into his fist. “Merlin,” he said, stiffly. “Is there something wrong?”

Eggsy shifted uncomfortably in the chair as Merlin decided to forgo commenting on the scene he’d stumbled upon.

“Percival, Bedivere, and the others have returned,” he said instead. His expression was now deadly serious. “They’ve brought the assassin into custody.”

Eggsy’s jaw dropped open, and his gaze swiveled to Harry above him. The king looked similarly affected, and spared a glance down towards his fiancé. His eyes quickly returned to Merlin, his expression sobering.

“Shall I reconvene the council, Sire?” asked Merlin.

Harry paused for a moment, thinking. “It is late,” he conceded. “Summon only those who haven’t retired for the evening. But Sir Gawain must be present, of course.”

“Of course,” the advisor bowed his head. “I’ll see you both in the council room.”

He departed, leaving the door to the study open. Lancelot and Kay both peered inside, waiting for the royals. Eggsy stood for the chair, suddenly feeling quite tense. Almost being killed by a faceless assassin was one thing; now he was going to _see_ the man that tried to do him in.

He felt something warm touch his shoulder, and he looked up into Harry’s eyes.

“Should I even ask you if you want to do this?” he said, with equal parts sympathy and amusement in his tone. “Or shall I just assume that you’ll continue with your stubborn streak?”

Eggsy felt himself relax, despite the light-hearted jibe, and sent the king a crooked grin. They looped their arms together, the motion nearly second nature to them by now.

“Let’s go,” he replied.

 

* * *

 

The man they found waiting in the council room, his wrists bound with chains and Percival and Bedivere flanking either side of him, was not exactly the image one’s mind would conjure up upon hearing the word ‘assassin’. Which, Harry supposed, was probably very useful to the man. He and the prince stopped just a few feet in front of the man; Merlin and Sir Gawain, as well as a handful of sleepy-eyed council members, were also gathered in the room.

He was gaunt, a good half a head taller than Eggsy, with a dark red cloak draped over his skinny figure like a blanket. Dark hair flopped over his forehead into his eyes, which were beady and furious, and his mouth was pulled into a tight frown. His fists clenched anxiously in front of him, rattling the chains.

Harry felt Eggsy’s grip on his arm tighten just a fraction when he caught sight of the assassin, but otherwise, the prince looked perfectly calm.

“Excellent work, men,” he said, turning his attention away from his fiancé to address the Kingsman guards. They nodded in reply, but no one tore their gaze away from the assassin. “Now then… Has our guest here revealed anything to you?”

“No, Sire,” answered Sir Bedivere. “Other than a few… colorful expletives uttered when we captured him, he’s said nothing.”

“I see.” Harry released Eggsy’s arm and stepped forwards, ignoring the prince’s alarmed look. He leveled a cool glare at the assassin and spoke as evenly as he could manage. “You do realize, of course, that your attempt on Prince Gary’s life amounts to high treason?”

At that, to everyone’s surprise, the man snorted. “It ain’t treason! He ain’t king- he’s not even _from_ Oxford.” He sent an accusatory glower in Eggsy’s direction. The prince frowned, clearly upset.

Harry’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “He is my fiancé, which means that he _will_ be king one day. And thus, you will face the same penalty as you would had you tried to kill _me._ And I’m sure you know what that is.”

To the king’s satisfaction, the assassin did look suddenly frightened, yet he said nothing more.

“However,” Harry went on. “You may be able to… lessen your sentence, if you are willing to share a few details with us.”

The assassin’s jaw tightened.

“Did you work alone?”

“Or… did someone hire you?”

More silence. Harry exhaled quietly and turned away, allowing Sir Gawain to step in his place.

“Make this easy on yourself, lad,” the captain spoke, his voice oddly low. “Cooperate… Or get your head lopped off. Your choice.”

The assassin’s eyes widened for a moment, before his features settled back into a cold, hard glare. Though, when directed towards Gawain, it held far more hatred than it had when pointed towards the king. A few more seconds passed in total silence before Gawain shrugged, stepping back with his arms held up.

“Well, he’s not talking. Maybe we should just take him to the executioner’s block and be done with this business.”

“We can’t do that,” admonished Merlin. “If he _was_ hired, we need to find out by whom. Or else Prince Gary stands to be attacked again.”

Gawain huffed and opened his mouth to retort, but it was Eggsy’s voice that filled the room next.

“Just put him in the dungeons.” The prince spoke, with just a hint of exasperation in his tone. “At least until he’s ready to talk.”

Everyone in the room looked stunned. Lord Higgins spoke up, regarding the prince with an air of incredulity.

“Are you… certain, Your Highness? This _is_ the man who tried to kill you.”

“Would you feel safe with him locked up in the palace?” another said.

Eggsy raised a brow. “One would think none of you have any sort of faith in your guards. It isn’t as though he can escape so easily. Lord Merlin is right; we gain nothing by killing him right away. And, seeing as how _my_ life is the one in danger, it only seems fair that _I_ decide what happens to the man who tried to threaten it.”

Harry felt another surge of admiration for his young fiancé, and it must have shown on his face, for Eggsy glanced at him and turned a curious shade of pink.

Gawain turned to the king, his face calculating. “Your Majesty?”

“I concur with Prince Gary. Take him to the dungeons. Perhaps his tongue will be looser in the morning.”

Then, without waiting for Sir Gawain’s approval, Percival and Bedivere each took one of the assassin’s arms and began tugging him out of the room. The man, of course, struggled against their grip, but he was no match for the strength of two Kingsmen. Sir Gawain rolled his eyes and muttered something unintelligible under his breath as he spared one last glance at Eggsy, and then moved to follow them to the dungeons.

Harry gave the rest of the present council members permission to leave, and once the room was almost empty, he turned to Eggsy again.

“Now, you really _should_ rest,” he said to the young prince, and his tone left no room for argument, though he was still expecting one. But to his surprise, Eggsy only smiled tiredly.

“I know. I’m bloody exhausted, to tell you the truth.”

Harry tutted, barely keeping a fond smile from breaking out on his face. “Then perhaps you should have retired to your room when it was first suggested.”

Eggsy stuck his tongue out at that, and it was such an un-princely action that it made Harry laugh. The king held out his arm, still grinning.

“I’ll escort you back to your chambers.”

Eggsy nodded, linked his arm with Harry’s, and fell into step beside him as they strolled out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly really like the scene where they do paperwork together. I don't know, I'm just really proud of it.
> 
> o3o


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sir Gawain continues to be an ass, and Eggsy makes two unexpected friendships.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is the longest chapter to date. 14 pages on Word, man.
> 
> And that's my excuse for why it took so long
> 
> sorry

* * *

 

 

Three days had passed since the assassin’s capture and detainment in the dungeons, yet for Eggsy, those days felt like long, torturous months instead. His guards had to follow him everywhere he went, and while he quite enjoyed Lancelot and Percival’s company, his patience was wearing thin. Not only that, but he could clearly see how this arrangement was affecting them as well; apparently, no progress was being made with the prisoner, who kept his mouth shut tight through interrogation, and as such, all Kingsmen had to be on alert in case another attack was made. They, along with the other knights, were all tense as a result.

Eggsy just wanted to give them a break, honestly. That was why he was headed towards the Kingsman training grounds at that very moment. He was planning on visiting Lady Roxanne and observing her training, and with the place already filled with Kingsmen _and_ recruits, that gave Sirs Lancelot and Percival a good three hours to themselves.

Lancelot had let out a very audible sigh of relief, and nearly swept the prince up into a tight hug; Percival, at least, tried to protest, but there was a secret glint of gratefulness in his eyes that made the whole thing very unconvincing. And so, they escorted him to the training room, bid him farewell, and went off to, presumably, their own room, to relax.

The prince stepped into the large chamber, and found it once again packed, either with Kingsmen sharpening their skills, or recruits practicing their own. In the far corner, he spotted Roxy in the center of a sizeable mat, where at least four young men in the same black recruits’ uniform were circling around her. None of them had weapons. And standing in front of them, observing, was Sir Gawain.

Eggsy’s brow furrowed immediately, and he briskly made his way across the room. Of course, his presence was noticed almost immediately, but most of the room’s occupants knew the reason he was there, so they let him pass with little more than a nod.

As he got closer, he recognized the four young men standing with Roxy- he’d seen them at court multiple times. There was Lord Chester’s nephew, Charles, whose appearance hardly surprised Eggsy at that point, but right next to him was Lord Higgins’ son, Hugo, and two other sons of nobility, Rufus Saville and Digby Barker; their fathers weren’t on the council, but according to Harry, they were still from a well-established Oxford family, and acted accordingly.

Before Eggsy even got within twenty feet, Sir Gawain barked something out at the recruits, and in a flash, everyone moved- the four men advanced on Roxy, to Eggsy’s astonishment. Roxy dodged and weaved around their attacks as best she could manage, but as she was easily outnumbered, it wasn’t long before Charles managed to strike a blow to her back, which made her stumble forward.

Digby attempted a strike of his own, but Roxy recovered quickly and jabbed viciously at him with her fist- the young noble was sent tumbling to his back and off the mat.

Roxy whipped around, slamming her elbow into the jaw of Hugo, who was directly behind her. He shouted and fell, falling off the mat much like Digby had. She began to turn towards the last two, but Charles was surprisingly fast. His expression deadly, he grabbed her elbow and twisted her around, earning a pained yelp from the woman.

Eggsy’s eyes narrowed, and he sped up, intent on ending the match before Roxy got seriously hurt.

But then, to his surprise, Charles released her, letting her stagger forward. She looked back at him, stunned, but as the man opened his mouth to say something, Rufus seized the opportunity and roughly pushed at her; Roxy stumbled out of bounds, landing on her side with a breathless ‘ _oomph_ ’. Her foot had caught on the edge of the matt, causing it to twist rather painfully, and all the prince saw then was red.

“Sir Gawain!” he shouted. All of the recruits froze as they turned and saw him, save for Roxy, who was now tenderly cradling her ankle. The captain himself looked annoyed as the prince approached, especially when everyone else in the room had stopped what they were doing to see why he had yelled.

Eggsy marched the rest of the way across the training room, stopping where Roxy lay. He knelt down beside her and winced when he saw her injury- her ankle was already red and swollen.

“I’m fine, Eggsy,” she said, without prompting. “I just fell wrong.”

“You were up against _four_ people, Roxy!” he said back, glaring at the men in question. Digby and Rufus both frowned back at him, their expressions similar to Gawain’s. Charles was helping Hugo off of the floor, the latter nursing his bruised jaw. Hugo, at least, looked ashamed, and Charles was directing his glare at Gawain, not the prince.

“It’s a common exercise, Your Highness,” Gawain responded. “A proper Kingsman- or Kings _woman,_ as it were- must be able to handle multiple opponents at once. Though it seems this was a tad overwhelming for Lady Roxanne.”

Digby snickered while Rufus merely looked smug, but before Eggsy could even open his mouth to yell at the knight further, it was Charles who spoke up.

“Pardon me, Sir, but when I did this exercise a few days ago, you only had me up against two other recruits. Why did you make Lady Roxanne fight four of us?”

Sir Gawain seemed taken back by this question, as did the other recruits. “Well, I-“

“You were just intent on making things difficult for her,” finished Eggsy, glowering.

The Kingsman fixed him with a stern scowl. “It is Lady Roxanne who insists on being able to handle ‘tougher’ challenges, Your Highness. I was merely complying with her wishes.”

Roxy grit her teeth and sent him a hateful look. “This isn’t what I meant and you _know it,_ Sir Gawain. You let everyone else move on to the next challenges and hold me back!”

There was a tense silence, made even worse by the fact that everyone in the room was staring at the argument. It was Hugo who broke the silence.

“For what it’s worth,” he offered timidly, “I think Lady Roxanne did pretty well against four opponents. Better than I would have, anyway.”

“She didn’t get Rufus or Charlie,” scoffed Digby.

“She did get _you,_ though,” Charles bit back. Digby fell silent. Satisfied, Charles turned to Hugo. “And you need to be seen to by a physician. That bruise is starting to look bad.”

Hugo shrugged good-naturedly. “I think Lady Roxanne needs to be seen first, with all due respect.” He bowed his head to her, and she actually mustered up a smile.

Sir Gawain looked intensely displeased by the proceedings. “Well, with an injured ankle, she can’t possibly expect to train for the next few days.”

“But by the time she’s fully recovered, you _will_ pick up her training where you’ve left off, correct?” asked Eggsy, eyeing him dangerously. “I’m sure Harry will ask you to do the same.”

 The knight, livid, took a deep breath. Then, with a clenched jaw, he nodded. Eggsy smiled sweetly in reply, moving to help Roxy stand. She wobbled, supported only by the prince’s arm around her back, when Charles suddenly appeared next to them, holding her steady.

“Here,” was all he said. He looked over at Hugo and gestured for him to follow, which the other recruit did.

“Thank you,” Roxy murmured.

All eyes still on them, the four of them slowly moved back towards the door, with Eggsy and Charles holding Roxy up, and Hugo trailing behind them. Once they were safely out, the doors closing off the prying and curious eyes, Eggsy let out a trembling breath.

“What the hell is wrong with him?” he asked no one in particular, though the three with him made sympathetic faces.

“Don’t worry over it too much, Eggsy,” Roxy replied, smiling reassuringly at him. “I’m sure Uncle Harry will give him hell for this once he finds out.”

“Good,” the prince muttered. “Because if he doesn’t, _I_ will.”

“The infirmary’s this way,” Charles interrupted, leaning towards the left side of the hallway. Eggsy and the others followed his lead, until they reached a different corridor, which had a single occupant striding down towards them.

It was Lady Gazelle, whose presence seemed strange without her father nearby, and once her eyes landed on the group- more specifically on Roxy- she gasped.

“What on _earth-?”_ She cut herself short, running over to close the distance between them, her heels clicking loudly on the stone floor. Roxy flinched, and Eggsy definitely felt it.

“I’m fine, Gazelle,” she tried whispering quietly, but Gazelle, evidently, was having none of it. She turned her sharp gaze on Charles and Hugo.

“What happened?” she demanded.

“Sir Gawain is what happened,” Eggsy answered. “He had Roxy fight _four_ other recruits on her own.”

Gazelle’s normally pretty face twisted, looking as irritated as Eggsy had felt.

“It’s just a sprained ankle,” Roxy defended herself. “A few days’ rest and I’ll be fine.”

“We were just on our way to the infirmary,” supplied Hugo.

Gazelle glanced at him, apparently just now noticing the large purplish bruise already forming on his jaw, and nodded.

“I can escort her from here,” the lady said, resolutely. She was already moving before any of them could even process what she’d said, scooting Charles aside to hook her arms around Roxy. Charles backed away with an amused look, while Eggsy and Hugo appeared confused. Roxy, for her part, was red with indignity.

“Are you sure, Lady Gazelle?” Eggsy managed, getting over his surprise.

She lifted her face regally, her arms still secure around Roxy. “Quite sure. You should go and report what happened to the king. The sooner Sir Gawain gets reprimanded, the better.” Something deadly laced its way into the lady’s voice, but it was so brief that Eggsy couldn’t comment on it.

“I… Well. If you’re sure…”

Gazelle nodded again, sparing the prince a light smile, before tugging a still-mortified Roxy down the hall. Roxy shot Eggsy a glare, though he couldn’t for the life of him understand why.

“Hugo,” Eggsy heard Charles’s voice again, so he snapped back to attention. The taller recruit was gesturing towards the ladies’ retreating forms. “You still need to be seen to.”

“I…” Hugo glanced between the two of them. “What about the prince?”

“I can escort him until his proper guards are contacted.” Charles turned to Eggsy and smiled softly. “You need to speak to King Harry, right?”

“Er… Yes. I think he should be in his study right about now.”

“I know the way. I’ll take you there. You should be safe with the king until your own Kingsmen arrive.”

“Are you sure?” Eggsy frowned. “Don’t you have to get back to your training?”

At that, Charles snorted. “I highly doubt Sir Gawain is in the mood to continue our lesson. Besides, after I drop you off, I can go back and practice on my own.”

Eggsy hesitated. While Charles was merely a recruit, and an unarmed one at that, it was probably better to have him as an escort than for Eggsy to just walk about the palace on his own. And besides, the young man seemed genuinely nice, which was frankly astounding, considering who he was related to. So after a few seconds of deliberation, Eggsy accepted the offer.

“Thank you, Charles.”

“Please, call me Charlie. Only Uncle Chester and my father call me Charles.”

All that while, Hugo was standing a few feet away, looking both confused and perhaps a little bit amused, if his raised eyebrow were any indication. Charles took notice of him again.

“Really, Hugo, that bruise needs to be treated. I’ll check on you later, okay?”

The blond sighed, relenting. He bowed politely to Eggsy and turned, making his way down the hall- Gazelle and Roxy had long since disappeared. Eggsy watched him for a few moments before he turned his attention back to Charles- or, Charlie. The recruit had on a smile and gestured to the other end of the hallway.

“Well then. Shall we?”

 

* * *

 

Apparently, Charlie knew a shorter way to Harry’s study than Eggsy’s own Kingsmen, as the two young men were walking down a new hallway Eggsy had never seen before. It was lined with seemingly hundreds of portraits, each depicting a different patrician-faced man or woman. Eggsy felt as though he knew a few of them…

“This is the Hall of Portraits. They’re all past kings and queens of Oxford,” Charlie said, once he caught the prince observing the portraits.

Eggsy hummed in acknowledgement as they passed a painting of Queen Evelyn. “I recognize a few from my lessons with Lord Merlin. Oxford has quite an extensive history.”

“Compared to Brogue, you mean?” Charlie asked, conversationally. “We had to study a bit of that, once.”

“Really?”

“Of course, at the time, no one was really happy with reading about our enemy, so… The information might’ve been a bit biased.”

Instead of feeling annoyed, Eggsy only laughed. “I’ll do my best to correct that in the future.”

They continued down the hallway in a companionable silence, until they were nearly at the end and Charlie pointed to a larger portrait immediately to Eggsy’s right.

“That’s King David, King Harry’s predecessor.”

Eggsy looked at the painting, finding a man in his early thirties at best, with black hair and warm brown eyes that he immediately noted were the same as Harry’s. His face was stoic, and his stance was strong and proud. That could have been the artist’s depiction of the king, but from the way Harry had spoken about him, Eggsy was more inclined to think that King David was a monarch that Oxford was proud of. Beside King David was a portrait of a young woman, whose name Eggsy also recognized- Queen Margaret, Harry’s mother. She was beautiful, with long strands of brunette curls framing her soft-looking face, her eyes piercing and regal.

Absently, Eggsy wondered what they would have thought of the marriage. Their only son, marrying a young man half his age and from their rival kingdom.

Charlie voice spoke up again, albeit much quieter than before. “And on the other wall is King Harry himself.”

The prince turned automatically, and almost a bit too quickly. But indeed, facing King David’s portrait was one of Harry. Eggsy blinked at the sight of it.

“He looks so… _young.”_

Charlie shrugged from beside him. “He was only twenty five when he was crowned.”

The figure in the painting _looked_ like Harry, yet it didn’t. For one thing, he wasn’t nearly as muscular or broad as Eggsy was used to, and his features were softer, more rounded, making his resemblance closer to his mother. And his _hair-_ Eggsy would have giggled at the mop of brown curls the artist had painstakingly recreated, were he not so stunned. He was still dressed resplendently, though, and his expression was the same as the other monarchs depicted in the hall- stoic and firm.

“He’s kind of adorable,” the prince mused out loud. He saw Charlie raise an eyebrow out of the corner of his eye and immediately blushed. “I-I mean… W-We should hurry along.”

He quickly began walking away; he heard Charlie’s footsteps behind him. But that wasn’t the end of it.

“Prince Gary, if I may…” Charlie began. “What do you think of our king?”

“I…” Eggsy ducked his head down. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, there were a few rumors… I figured, why not hear the truth directly from the source?”

“W-What sort of ‘rumors’?”

“Oh, they vary. But the general consensus seems to be that the two of you get along very well.”

“Well, we do,” Eggsy mumbled. “Harry has been a perfect gentleman to me ever since I arrived in Oxford. Which is more than I expected.”

“And… that’s it?”

“Yes,” was the firm reply. “That’s it.” He heard Charlie hum thoughtfully, and he almost resisted the temptation to ask. Almost. “You sound disappointed.”

Charlie chuckled. “Some of the rumors were a little more… intimate.”

Eggsy felt a blush creep up his cheeks. “O-Oh.”

A wicked grin spread across the young man’s face. “Some people even came to the conclusion that the two of you were somehow secret lovers before the alliance was even proposed.”

“What?” Eggsy turned to stare incredulously at Charlie, who was far too amused by his reaction. He shrugged light-heartedly.

“Relax, no one actually believes that one. But a lot of people were quite surprised by how well you two got on.”

His discomfort was already fading, though his blush was still on his face. “Isn’t that a good thing?”

“Oh, yes. The people love King Harry. They’re relieved he won’t be stuck in an unhappy marriage.” Charlie gave him a handsome smile. “And I’m quite happy _you_ won’t be, either.”

Eggsy stared at him for a moment, before he cracked a grin. “Thank you, Charlie.”

The rest of the way was silent once more, though Eggsy already felt better than he had earlier that day. Most of the rage from Sir Gawain had faded, and the worry about Roxy was slowly being alleviated too- of course, he’d really feel better once he saw her again, ankle treated and taken care of.

Soon, he and Charlie arrived at the door of Harry’s study; Sirs Bedivere and Kay were not the guards posted at the door, but then Eggsy remembered that some of the Kingsmen were rotating around to help relieve the stress from the others. The two currently flanking Harry’s door gave Eggsy a curt nod before resuming their stone-faced visage.

“Well, this is where I leave you, Your Highness.” Charlie bowed formally.

Eggsy’s lips quirked up in another smile. “Thank you again, Charlie. You know, you’re different from your uncle. You’re actually quite nice.”

Charlie froze, his eyes wide, as if he’d never heard such a sentiment before, and Eggsy wondered for a moment if perhaps he’d accidentally offended him. But then, slowly, he smiled, and bowed his head with respect. “Good day, Your Highness.”

He left the prince in front of the door and the guards, who made no indication that they thought anything of that last exchange. Eggsy turned towards them and nodded. They pushed open the door for him and he walked in, preparing himself for the discussion ahead.

 

* * *

 

Harry glanced up from his desk when he heard the door open, and was surprised to find Eggsy walking towards him. His fiancé wore a determined look, so Harry set aside his pen and stood.

“Eggsy,” he started, somewhat carefully. “I thought you were going to observe Roxy’s training today?”

“I did,” he replied. Suddenly he looked annoyed. “But then something came up.”

“What?” was Harry’s immediate reply, but then another thought struck him. “Wait, Percival and Lancelot are still taking their break. Who escorted you here?” He stepped around his desk, face panicked. “ _Please_ tell me you didn’t walk here by yourself-!”

“ _Harry,_ relax,” Eggsy chided, though the boy looked more amused than Harry would have liked. “No, I didn’t come here by myself. It’s… a bit of a long story.” He gestured to the seats that Harry kept in his study, away from his desk, and once they were both settled in across from each other, the prince began to explain.

“So, I went to go and observe Roxy, like I told you, but when I got there… Sir Gawain was making her fight hand-to-hand against _four other_ recruits.”

Eggsy paused, like he was expecting a reaction, and Harry did not disappoint. The king’s eyes went wide, and his mouth parted with shock.

“He _what?”_

“And she did pretty well, considering,” Eggsy went on, because apparently that wasn’t the end of it. “But then one of the recruits caught her unaware and shoved her. She twisted her ankle pretty badly.”

“Where is Roxy now?” Harry asked, unable to stop the panic from leaking into his voice. Of course he was worried, the girl had practically been his daughter since her father died.

“Me and two of the other recruits escorted her to the infirmary. And,” he added, looking up thoughtfully, “Lady Gazelle saw us and took her and Hugo the rest of the way.”

Harry calmed marginally. He knew that Lady Gazelle was a close friend of Roxy’s, so he could rest assured that his ward made it to the infirmary safely. “Hugo? As in, Lord Higgins’s son?”

“Yes. He was one of the recruits Sir Gawain picked out to fight Roxy. So were Barker and Savile’s sons. And Charlie.”

Harry blinked, not recognizing the last name, so Eggsy clarified.

“Charles- you know, Lord Chester’s nephew.”

“Ah…” Harry frowned. He’d only ever heard the boy referred to as Charles Hesketh- or, more often than not, ‘Lord Chester’s nephew’.

“I mean, to Hugo and Charlie’s credit, they didn’t seem too happy with how things turned out, either,” Eggsy kept going. “Hugo even apologized. But then, Roxy _did_ bruise his jaw.” A smile played on the prince’s lips, momentarily distracting Harry.

“So you took Roxy to the infirmary,” he recounted. “I trust you scolded Sir Gawain before you left?”

Eggsy snorted. “Oh, trust me, with Hugo and Charlie backing me up, he didn’t stand a chance. And I’m sure Lady Gazelle will have words with him later.”

“As will I,” Harry grumbled. “Honestly, I did expect some level of unfairness from him concerning Roxy, but this is fucking ridiculous.”

Eggsy paused, and Harry realized belatedly that he’d never sworn in front of his betrothed before. He made to apologize, but then the lad was grinning at him, so he let the incident slide by.

“That’s what I told him,” he laughed. “I knew you’d agree. Anyway, Sir Gawain agreed to continue Roxy’s training once she’s fully recovered. Albeit reluctantly.”

Harry smiled softly. “No doubt at your insistence. You’re really becoming quite adept at the art of diplomacy, Eggsy.”

Eggsy flushed red, shifting in his seat and studiously avoiding Harry’s admiring gaze. “I-It wasn’t necessarily diplomacy. I was just really upset, and…” he trailed off. “And like I said, Hugo and Charlie supported me.”

Harry hummed at that. “As long as Gawain knows he’s being reprimanded.” He wondered if Eggsy realized that having the support of your peers was yet another kingly trait he possessed, but then he remembered something else. “Now, please do tell who escorted you to my study?” A concerned look overtook the king’s features. “You know you shouldn’t be walking around the palace with no supervision.”

“I know, Harry,” he said back, clearly exasperated. Well, that was fine. Harry could understand, perhaps even sympathize with the boy, but such precautions were necessary. Whatever it took to keep the prince safe. “And if you really must know, Charlie was the one to walk with me.”

“…” Harry blinked. “Charlie.”

“Yes.”

“Just him? Just one recruit?”

“Well, it was better than nothing, right?” Eggsy became even more flustered, as though he feared he’d made a mistake.

Harry sighed, rubbing his temples, which didn’t exactly reassure Eggsy. “Well, _yes,_ Eggsy, but… It’s still not ideal.”

Eggsy shrugged half-heartedly. “Sorry. Just, we left the training room so quickly, I didn’t think to ask any of the Kingsmen there to come with us.”

“It’s fine, my boy,” Harry gave a tired smile. “Just… Try not to do that again. Or at least make sure any recruit you take with you is armed,” he half-joked, and felt immediately gratified when Eggsy chuckled. “In any case, you _will_ have to remain here until Sirs Lancelot and Percival return.”

“Of course,” said Eggsy. “I didn’t interrupt anything, right?”

“Oh, just the usual. Paperwork,” replied Harry, grateful that the topic was fading to something else, something more casual. Honestly, he hated the fact that Eggsy had to be constantly looked after as much as the prince himself did. While nowhere near as bad as it had been when he was first attacked, there was a sense of anxiety constantly worrying at Harry. Needless to say, he would be very relieved to see the entire business over and done with. If only the assassin would just give up and tell them what they needed to know…

He gave Eggsy a calming smile, intent on not thinking about the subject any longer. “With the wedding looming closer, it seems like the list of things that need to be done just gets longer and longer.”

Eggsy leaned in closer. “Oh? Like what?”

“Finalizing the guest list, security details, the menu… Honestly, all things that were taken care of at least a month ago, but I’m still being asked to review them.”

At that, the prince frowned. “I haven’t seen anything like that.”

Harry shrugged. “Merlin wanted you to focus more on your studies. It’s alright, I can handle it.”

“Did we not _just_ have a discussion about sharing responsibilities equally?”

“Planning a wedding isn’t necessarily a ‘kingly’ responsibility. Really, someone on my council would normally be running this, but with it being such a politically important marriage…” Harry trailed off. “In any case, it’s not nearly as fascinating as some of the nobles would lead you to believe. I haven’t even _attended_ a wedding in years.” He shuddered at the memory.

But he felt Eggsy’s gaze grow curious, so he indulged him. “It was the marriage of one of the council member’s daughters. I was obligated to attend, so I did. It was… interesting.”

“’Interesting’?” the prince repeated, smiling slightly.

“Well… It _did_ end with the bridesmaids absolutely splattered with the buffet. I distinctly remember my crown being knocked off with an errant piece of cake.” Harry winced at the memory, but Eggsy burst into a round of poorly-contained giggles. He sent a half-hearted glare his way, but all these years later, he wasn’t terribly upset about it. It _was_ a humorous story, though not whenever Merlin saw fit to bring it up.

“Oh my _god,_ Harry!” Eggsy laughed, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye as his giggles began to die down. “What did you do?”

The king smiled back, and told the rest of the story to the young prince. It was an hour later when Sirs Percival and Lancelot arrived at the king’s study, and by then, the two of them were howling with laughter over the dozens of stories they’d traded with each other. It made the Kingsmen smile, though they dared not comment on it and spoil the moment. Especially not when Harry gave them a warning look once he realized they were present.

Eggsy was escorted out of Harry's study shortly afterwards, a bright smile on his face as he walked, his Kingsmen following behind him.

 

* * *

 

“So. A fairly eventful day, then,” Sir Lancelot blinked, after Eggsy had just finished filling in his guards on what they’d missed during their break. They’d first taken the lad to his regularly-scheduled lesson with Lord Merlin, and then he had to go to dinner straight afterwards, so there was hardly time to talk. But now, with the sky outside turning dark as they brought him back to his chambers, he’d finally been able to tell them all about the day’s hectic activity.

“That Gawain,” sighed Percival, shaking his head. “A damn fine knight, but his priorities can be so skewed…”

“Maybe once Roxy proves him wrong and becomes a Kingsman, he’ll change his attitude?” supplied Eggsy, hopefully.

Lancelot’s lips quirked up in a grin. “Maybe. I wouldn’t place any bets on it, though.”

Percival hummed concurrently.

Not wanting to think about Sir Gawain any further, Eggsy tried to change the subject. “Anyway, how was your day? Not nearly as stressful, I hope.”

To his surprise, though, both knights sighed. Lancelot was the one to explain.

“Actually, Eggsy, as lovely as it was of you to give us a break, apparently Sir Ector saw it as an excuse to get us to help with the prisoner.”

“We spent a good two hours in the dungeons, trying to get him to talk,” added Percival.

“Leaving us with only an hour to ourselves.”

Eggsy blinked, astounded. “Oh. I’m so sorry, perhaps I should have said something to the other guards-“

“No, no,” cut in Lancelot, “it’s not your fault. I suspect Ector was just jealous that we got any sort of break at all.”

“Well… Did you at least make any progress? With the prisoner?” Eggsy tried for a nonchalant tone, but in reality he was desperately curious.

Percival answered, dejectedly, “I’m afraid not, Your Highness. The prisoner is… quite resilient. Ector is considering asking for King Harry’s permission to use our more… extreme methods.”

Eggsy swallowed nervously. He knew that Percival was talking about torture; even Brogue had to resort to such an act, though the occasions had been far and few in between as Eggsy was growing up. And he’d heard stories all the while, of how brutal Oxford’s methods could really be. Of course, now he figured it was all likely highly exaggerated, propaganda from his own country’s loyalists.

Still. Torture could only be exaggerated so much.

“He’s really said nothing?” he decided to ask, even as they drew closer to his chambers.

“Hasn’t even told us his name,” groaned Lancelot. “Let alone the name of the one who hired him.”

Eggsy bit his lip, and looked over his shoulder at the knights. They were obviously fatigued, making the request that bubbled up to the surface of the prince’s mind seem that much more unfair. He’d meant to talk to Harry about it, and then the whole mess with Gawain made him forget to. But it could never hurt to ask his own knights, could it?

He steeled himself and went for it. “Do you think I could… maybe, speak to him myself?”

As he’d predicted, both knights stopped dead in their tracks, so he paused as well and turned around to fully face them. He put on a determined look, which was met with disbelieving stares from the pair.

“W… What? _Now?”_ Lancelot all but squeaked.

“At least before anyone decides to torture the poor man,” Eggsy went on.

“The ‘poor man’?” sputtered Percival. “Eggsy, this man tried to _kill_ you!”

“And perhaps that will work out to my advantage. He certainly won’t be expecting me.”

“Eggsy, we can’t just- _take_ you to your would-be assassin!” persisted Lancelot. “At the very least, not without more guards-“

“I’ll have you two, and the knights already guarding the prisoner! The man is stuck behind iron bars, all weapons removed from his person; how much danger could I possibly be in?”

The knights continued to stare at him, not able to come up with any further rebuttal that wasn’t just a rewording of what they’d already said. Eggsy sighed, closing his eyes for a moment.

“Please. Don’t I have the right to at least _try_ and talk to him? You’ll both keep me safe; I have faith in that.”

Lancelot grimaced, looking close to breaking. And Percival, strangely, looked at Eggsy appraisingly, like he was almost _impressed._

After a long bout of silence, the more stoic of the two finally answered. “Alright.”

Lancelot gaped at his husband just as a large grin broke out on the prince’s face. Percival spoke up again before either of them could say anything.

“ _But,_ you must say as far away from the bars as possible. And we will be standing in front of you. Otherwise, we will take you back to your room immediately.”

“Yes, of course,” Eggsy agreed instantly. They were reasonable demands.

Lancelot turned to Percival and whispered, “Are you sure?” to which the man only nodded. He turned on his heel and began marching down the hall, changing their direction towards the dungeons. Lancelot sighed, facing Eggsy with a tired smile and gesturing to his husband’s retreating form.

“After you, Your Highness.”

 

* * *

 

Oxford’s dungeons were… well, ‘intimidating’ was too light a word. Whereas the rest of the palace was bright and lavish, the dungeons were all bare, cold stone and dim lighting. Which, yes, was appropriate for a place where one was meant to keep prisoners, but still, the difference was jarring to Eggsy.

They approached the prisoner’s cell, and the Kingsmen stationed there looked at them with surprise, especially Eggsy. But a stern and somehow reassuring glance from Percival made them stifle whatever protests the might have offered up on the prince’s presence.

The guards were set at either side of the iron-barred cell. Lancelot and Percival flanked Eggsy in the front, allowing the prince a full view of the prisoners huddled on the floor. And he couldn’t help but let out a small gasp.

The prisoner looked, frankly, terrible. His cheeks were hollow and pale, his eyes sunken in and with dark bags lining them underneath, it seemed as though he hadn’t eaten or slept in _days._ Bruises littered nearly every part of his body that Eggsy could see, and the man was shaking violently, probably from the drafty cold.

And he’d only been held for _three days_ ; didn’t Oxford take even the slightest amount of care for their prisoners? He felt a surge of anger, but he didn’t know whom to direct it towards. The Kingsmen, perhaps. Gawain, more likely. He could even find a reason to be upset with _Harry,_ though he hoped that his fiancé wouldn’t have approved of such abhorrent treatment.

The gasp he’d let out made the prisoner’s head whip up, his pupils small, like a wild animal caught and about to be attacked. Instinctively, Eggsy held up his hand, smiling gently, to show he meant no harm. But it appeared to only rile the prisoner up more.

“Hello,” he offered, quietly. The prisoner flinched at his voice, but didn’t respond. “I’m… well, I suppose you know perfectly well who I am, don’t you?”

“…”

“I’m not here to hurt you.”

The prisoner’s gaze flickered warily from Eggsy to his guards.

“And _they_ won’t hurt you either. Well, not unless you try something.”

He clenched his jaw and turned away with a huff. Eggsy sighed.

“Look,” he started. “I understand that you may be… protecting someone. The person who hired you, maybe. But things are only going to get worse if you don’t start cooperating. I’m just trying to help you.”

 _That_ earned a reaction. The prisoner turned back around and snarled, his voice raspy and weak, but very obviously angry. “Why do _you_ care, huh? I tried to fuckin’ _kill_ ya!”

Eggsy shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m sure you had your reasons.”

The prisoner stared at him. “You’re fuckin’ barmy, you are.”

“Oi!” One of the cell’s guards stepped away from his position to glare down at the prisoner, who cringed and scurried further into the cell. “How dare you speak to royalty that way-!”

“Please, Sir,” Eggsy interrupted, keeping his tone firm but gentle. The knight paused and looked at him, stunned into silence. “I appreciate it, but I think he’s been frightened enough.”

“I… I beg your pardon, Your Highness.” The guards, now looking thoroughly chastised, resumed his position. Eggsy spared him a grateful smile before returning his attention to the prisoner, who was now looking at the prince in awe.

“Why… Why d’you want to help me?” he asked, his voice trembling as badly as the rest of his body. “Why not just let’m beat the information outta me?”

“Because that’s barbaric,” he replied easily, brows furrowing. “I’ve never been fond of torture. Especially when it’s perfectly avoidable.” He kneeled on the ground, so that he was eye-level with the prisoner. “King Harry doesn’t want to resort to such measures, either.” Which he didn’t know for certain, but he had faith in his fiancé. “We can help you out, if you just tell us _something.”_

The prisoner swallowed thickly, his eyes darting around his cell, looking anywhere but at the prince.

“I… I…” He choked out a sob. “ _He’d_ kill me.”

Eggsy smiled gently again, even though the prisoner didn’t see it. He used the same tone he did whenever his little sister suffered from a nightmare, calm and soothing. “You’re safe here.”

The prisoner, openly crying now, curled in tighter on himself. “I- I can’t!”

Eggsy stood up. “You don’t have to, right now. But please, think it over. Is this man really worth your life?”

“I’m not worth anythin’,” he said bitterly. Eggsy frowned.

“Everyone is worth something. Even you.” The prince gave a half-smile. “What’s your name?”

The prisoner hiccupped, still staring at the stone floor of his cell. “… I…” He looked up at Eggsy with bleary eyes. “R-R… Rottie.”

Eggsy beamed down at him. “Nice to meet you, Rottie.”

Flushing, Rottie looked back down, burying his face in his knees. It seemed that was the end of that.

Eggsy turned to one of the cell’s guards. “Please bring Rottie some blankets. It’s freezing in here.”

The guards and his companion blinked back at him, stunned. Then, realizing that the prince had addressed him, stuttered to answer.

“Y-Yes, Your Highness, right away!”

Eggsy watched him scurry off and quickly return with a pile of blankets, each of which were thin, but were definitely an improvement from Rottie’s current source of warmth- that is to say, his threadbare clothes. The guard opened the cell door a fraction and tossed the blankets inside.

Rottie stared at them for a few seconds before he scrambled to wrap them around himself. He still didn’t look up, however. He seemed too shocked to do anything but grip the blankets tighter.

Eggsy nodded, satisfied. Lancelot and Percival were also staring at him, though a stunned sort of pride had mixed in with the surprise. The prince let out a small breath, the tension seeping from his shoulders. In all honestly, he was a little scared, not convinced he do much of anything, but just like his mother had taught him, “Mercy was the best method of interrogation.”

“Good night, Rottie,” he said, before turning to walk away. He nodded warmly to the guards on his way out, hearing Lancelot and Percival’s footsteps behind him.

Now he could only wait and see if the man would listen to his advice.

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look, i just
> 
> i really like gentle, caring, motherly Eggsy, ok
> 
> Also, in case anyone was wondering, Eggsy is definitely going to get his own portrait next to Harry's. uwu


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of Eggsy's little trip to the dungeons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: my original outline for this fic had it end at around chapter fifteen
> 
> I don't even know how many chapters it's going to be now lol

* * *

 

 

It was the morning immediately after Eggsy’s unexpected visit to the prisoner, and as it turned out, the prince got a reaction much faster than he’d thought.

Pity it was from none other than Sir Gawain.

They (that is to say, Eggsy, Harry, Merlin, and Roxy, as well as the assorted Kingsman guards) were in the middle of having breakfast, as per their usual routine, when the captain stormed through the doors, ignoring the protests of the guards stationed there. Everyone at the table had jumped, and Harry even stood up, his expression annoyed.

“Sir Gawain,” he started, “what is the meaning of-“

But amazingly, the older man _cut off_ the king, the anger bleeding into his voice with such severity, Harry was actually silenced.

“Prince Gary,” he seethed, leveling the young man with a harsh glare. Eggsy had already figured out what he’d gotten upset about and maintained a cool look. “Would you mind explaining to me _why_ you decided to pay an _unapproved_ visit to the prisoner late last night?”

Looks of shock appeared all throughout the table, except for Eggsy, and Sirs Lancelot and Percival, who looked as though they were preparing for a massive fallout.

“I beg your pardon?” That was Harry. The king glanced briefly at his fiancé, but Eggsy kept his surprisingly cold gaze steady on Gawain.

“I just heard a report that Prince Gary went to talk to our prisoner.” Gawain sneered viciously. “And he apparently _coddled_ the sorry bastard, ordering the guards to give him _blankets.”_

All eyes turned on Eggsy, who took that as his cue to respond.

“And what, exactly, is the problem, Sir Gawain?” he asked evenly. “I was well-protected by several Kingsman _and_ there were iron bars separating me from Rottie.”

From across the table, Merlin raised an eyebrow. “Rottie?”

“That’s his name,” replied Eggsy.

“You- You got him to tell you his name?” asked Roxy, stunned. “How?”

“It doesn’t matter _how,”_ interrupted Gawain, who was still scowling. “What matters is that Prince Gary has violated protocol and potentially endangered himself.”

“And yet I got done in one night what you couldn’t manage in three days,” said Eggsy.

Gawain scoffed. “His name is of little importance. It doesn’t tell us who he works for.”

“So what were you planning to do, then?” Anger began to cut into Eggsy’s tone, despite his determination to remain calm. “Beat and torture the man until he told you whatever you wanted to hear?”

Roxy glanced around the room, still unable to discern exactly what was going on, but knowing it was nothing good, and Merlin shifted anxiously in his seat. Harry had taken on a stone-like visage, his eyes never leaving Eggsy.

Gawain inhaled deeply, Eggsy’s rebuttals only making him more livid. “How Oxford handles its prisoners is of no concern to you-“

Eggsy stood. “But it _is!_ For god’s sake man, I’m going to be a king of this country soon, _of course_ I care about how the prisoners are treated! And I do _not_ condone torture!”

“Now, gentlemen,” Merlin held up his hands in a placating gesture, not that either man noticed it. “Let’s all just calm down.” He looked to Gawain. “Captain, how is the prisoner doing now?”

The knight crossed his arms over his chest and huffed. “Huddled into his sodding blankets, like a baby.”

“Would you rather he die from hypothermia? Then _no one_ gets the information we need,” bit back Eggsy.

“Your Highness,” Merlin continued, calmly. “What exactly did you do last night?”

“I had my Kingsmen escort me to the dungeons,” he said carefully, aware of how to frame it so that Lancelot and Percival were not accused of anything other than following orders. “After I’d all but begged and persuaded them to. And then I met with the prisoner. All I did was talk to him.”

“What did you talk about?”

“I told him that things would only get worse if he didn’t say _something._ I told him I was trying to help him.”

“Help,” Gawain snorted. “The man tried to kill you and you want to _help_ him!”

“Anything would be better than senselessly beating him! Brogue certainly doesn’t handle their prisoners that way, I can promise you that much!”

“It does not matter what _Brogue_ does!” he snarled. “You are in Oxford now, and despite the fact that you will be king, you cannot simply _usurp_ a system that has worked for hundreds of years!”

“So you’re saying Oxford is a kingdom built on torture and cruelty?”

“I’m saying that Oxford has managed just fine without your Broguian mentality, and we will continue to do so if Your Highness would kindly _stay out of it!”_

“ _Enough.”_

Harry’s voice cut through the thick tension like a knife. Everyone, even the Kingsmen, jumped at the sound of it. Harry stood tall at the head of the table, his expression unreadable. He looked from Eggsy to Gawain and then back again; the captain looked unrepentant, but at least Eggsy had the sense to feel ashamed. He had, after all, engaged in the un-princely act of a shouting match.

“Merlin. Roxy. If you would please?” The king gestured towards the door, and they did not need to be told twice. Merlin helped Roxy to stand (as she was still nursing a hurt ankle) and eased them both out of the room; they each threw a worried glance over their shoulders just before the door shut behind them. That left Harry, Eggsy, Gawain, and four Kingsmen knights behind.

It was eerily quiet, as everyone waited for Harry to speak.

“This is abhorrent behavior. From the _both_ of you.”

Eggsy cringed and lowered his eyes guiltily, but Gawain only grew more indignant.

“Harry, you cannot let the prince just run about and do whatever he pleases! Oxford has a _system,_ one that’s worked perfectly well in the past, and-“

“I don’t believe I was finished, Sir Gawain,” Harry interrupted. “Please wait until I am.” The cold, firm tone of his voice finally got through to the captain, and he fell silent. Satisfied, Harry went on. “Yes, Prince Gary has violated protocol. If he wished to speak to the prisoner, he should have spoken to either of us first. As should have his guards,” he added, sending a calculating look towards Lancelot and Percival, who bowed their heads in shame. Then he looked towards Eggsy. “However well protected you thought you were, Eggsy, we cannot risk your safety. And you cannot just step around Oxford’s rules as you please. Gawain is right; you are no longer in Brogue.”

Eggsy took a deep breath, his expression caught between anger and contriteness, but he said nothing, which Harry was thankful for. Then the king turned to an incredibly smug Gawain, his glare becoming harsher.

“That being said, Gawain, you have no right to barge in here, unannounced, and start hurling insults at who is to be your future king. You were incredibly disrespectful. Furthermore, you seem adamant on giving Prince Gary the impression that Oxford is a kingdom which prides itself on its ability to _torture._ Even I am well aware of the fact that our country’s treatment of prisoners has been… less than ideal. Which is why I made it a part of _your_ protocols to confer with me on all actions taken against prisoners.”

At various points throughout his reproach, Gawain opened his mouth to retort, but the king kept going, not stopping for a moment. When he finally did stop, though, the Kingsman Captain did little more than scowl petulantly.

Harry took a deep breath, once more looking towards his fiancé. Eggsy took his gaze as permission to speak.

“I’m sorry, Harry,” he said, and he looked so ashamed of himself that Harry had to fight the urge to envelop the young man in a crushing embrace. But he still had to maintain his position, so he merely nodded, sparing Eggsy a small smile.

“Thank you, Eggsy. But I believe the apology is owed to Sir Gawain. And he owes you one in return.”

The two men frowned, eyeing each other with distaste.

“I’m… sorry, Sir Gawain,” Eggsy bit out, obviously trying to keep the hostility out of his tone and failing.

Gawain made no such effort. His anger was loud and clear through his clenched teeth. “My apologies, Your Highness.”

Satisfied, Harry nodded. “Excellent. Gawain, we will have a discussion on what to do with the prisoner,” he paused, catching Eggsy’s imploring stare, and righted himself straightaway, “I’m sorry, with Rottie. But until then, no one is to lay a finger on him. Yourself included. Is that understood?”

Gawain glowered, but answered reluctantly, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Very good. You are dismissed.”

The captain spun on his heel and marched out, no sparing either member of royalty another glance as he slammed the door, quite rudely, behind him. Harry scowled at the door for a few moments before sighing, and made his way over to the distraught-looking prince.

“Eggsy,” he started softly.

“I really am sorry, Harry,” he said hurriedly, but the sincerity in his tone was hard to ignore. “I… I thought I could help. And I didn’t want the man to suffer, no matter if he tried to kill me! I did not mean to… to _usurp_ anything, I just…”

Harry nodded solemnly, waiting for the boy to finish. When he did, his voice dying down to a mere whisper, the king took his chance to speak.

“I understand, Eggsy, I do. But really, you should have notified me before you decided to do anything involving the man who tried to take your _life_. Or at least told one of your Kingsman to contact me,” he added, looking pointedly at Lancelot and Percival.

“It wasn’t their fault!” Eggsy started immediately, stepping forward. “ _I_ ordered them-“

“Yes, I know. You don’t want them getting in trouble, but the fact remains that while you do not know Oxford’s protocols, they _do.”_ Harry glanced at the knights in question again. “Which is why I need to have a few words with Sirs Lancelot and Percival in private. Bedivere, Kay, please escort Prince Gary to wherever he needs to go for the rest of the morning.”

Harry’s Kingsmen nodded dutifully, but the prince opened his mouth in indignation.

“What- _Harry!”_

But it was Lancelot who stopped him, by holding up his hand and giving a comforting smile to the young man.

“We’ll be alright, Eggsy. Well, _I_ will be, anyway. This isn’t the first time the king has had to scold me. Not too sure how Percival will hold up, though,” he smirked at his husband, who rolled his eyes. Still, Eggsy didn’t look convinced.

“Really, Eggsy, everything will be fine,” Percival added, his tone oddly soft. “Just go about your day as normal. Please.”

The prince opened his mouth again, but then closed it, finding no other words to protest. With an aggravated sigh, he sent a doleful glare Harry’s way, before turning away and leaving the room, Bedivere and Kay on his heels.

Harry winced.

 

* * *

 

With Eggsy gone, the king turned to two of his most loyal Kingsman and raised an eyebrow expectantly at them.

“Well? How do you two plan on explaining yourselves? You deliberately ignored protocol and brought a high-risk target directly to his assassin.”

“A failed assassin that was well-guarded and stuck behind iron bars,” said Lancelot, shrugging.

Percival had the decency to frown disapprovingly at his husband. “Still, we acknowledge that we should not have so easily complied with Prince Gary’s wishes and come to you first.”

“So why did you, then?” asked Harry. “Lancelot, I could understand.” They both ignored Lancelot’s indignant shout. “But you, Percival? You’re one of the biggest sticklers for protocol _in_ Kingsman. Why did you not tell Eggsy what the rules were?”

Percival was quiet for a moment. Then, to Harry’s surprise, he gave a soft little smile. “I did _try._ But… The prince was rather convincing.”

Lancelot smiled, too, and nodded. “You should have seen him, Harry. Resolute and desperate to save the poor man from torture. Reminded me of another impudent young prince who used to wander these halls.”

Harry huffed, shaking his head and trying not to grin. He failed. “Yes, and as I recall, Sir Gawain wasn’t terribly fond of _him,_ either.” A beat passed, and the king took another deep breath. “Promise me this will not happen again.”

“It won’t,” assured Lancelot. “I rather think Eggsy will do anything to avoid being scolded again, Your Majesty.”

“He cares very much what you think of him,” added Percival. He was eyeing the king in a strangely… scrutinizing manner. “What you said today will surely stick with him.”

“…” Harry groaned, closing his eyes. “Was I too harsh?”

Lancelot shook his head. “No, Sire. You were perfectly reasonable. And Eggsy knows that.”

“Still… I don’t imagine he’s very happy that I’m scolding you two right now. He must think I blame you both.”

“Is that what this is? A scolding?” yawned Lancelot, the impertinent knight that he was. “You’re losing your touch, Harry. I don’t feel reprimanded in the slightest.”

“Of course you don’t.” Harry rolled his eyes, sighing once again. “I suppose the ‘scolding’ is over, then.”

Percival straightened his back. “Is there anything else you needed, Your Majesty?”

“Actually, yes. I’d like for you to tell me what Eggsy and the pris- _Rottie_ , talked about.”

Lancelot raised an eyebrow. “Might I ask why, Sire?”

“Sir Gawain would have only gotten that angry if Eggsy’s method actually worked,” the king replied, mouth quirking upwards in a smile. “So, I’d like you to tell me _exactly_ what it was that he did.”

Lancelot and Percival shared a look; the latter grinned brightly, causing the former to crack a smile. They returned their attention to their king and nodded simultaneously.

“Yes, Sire.”

 

* * *

 

It was hours later, long after Eggsy’s lessons and other plans had passed, when he finally received word from him Kingsmen.

He was in Lady Roxanne’s chambers, the two young nobles simply lounging about and chatting. Kay and Bedivere had departed quietly a while ago, having to attend to other business that Eggsy presumed had to do with Harry.

Roxy’s ankle lay propped up on a pillow, when there abruptly came a sharp knock at the door. Once the lady had given permission to enter, Eggsy had all but jumped to his feet at the sight of Sirs Percival and Lancelot on the other side of the threshold.

Percival bowed politely, speaking before the prince had a chance to open his mouth. “Your Highness. King Harry had requested your presence.”

Eggsy blinked, glancing briefly over at Roxy, who smiled encouragingly at him and nodded. Taking that as permission to leave her be, he stood and followed the guards out; once in the relative privacy of the empty corridor, Eggsy finally asked the question that had been itching on his mind all morning.

“Are you both okay?” he worried. “I didn’t get you into trouble, did I?”

Lancelot laughed in his usual reassuring manner. “No, no. We just got a simple warning, that’s all.”

“Quite honestly, Eggsy, the king was more worried about your safety than any apparent ‘broken rules’,” added Percival, side-eyeing the prince to check his reaction.

Without fail, pink rose to Eggsy’s cheeks, flattered by Harry’s ever-present determination to protect his young fiancé.

“I-I see. Well, I apologize anyway.” He knew very well that he could’ve saved everyone a lot of trouble by merely keeping to himself, but he would not retreat into formalities for standing up for his beliefs. Given the chance, he’d have done it all over again, despite Harry’s chastising.

“You needn’t,” said Percival. “After all, King Harry is of the opinion that you might be on to something with our prisoner.”

Eggsy frowned, not expecting to hear that. “He… He is?”

Lancelot nodded. “That’s why he summoned you. We’re going down to the dungeons to speak with Rottie, and Harry would like you to be there.”

“Oh!” Eggsy felt himself stand a little straighter, as his pace quickened just a bit. He was both surprised and delighted- and not for the first time, he felt a surge of fondness for his future husband and his consideration.

“Yes, but be warned; Sir Gawain will be in attendance as well,” Percival spoke. “He insisted upon it.”

Eggsy’s mood dampened a bit, but with both his Kingsman and Harry due to be there, he couldn’t say he was particularly upset. Between the four of them, Gawain wouldn’t be able to do much, surely?

“I can handle Gawain perfectly well,” he spoke resolutely. He looked straight ahead as he walked, and so he missed Lancelot and Percival’s matching smiles.

It was quiet the rest of the way down to the dungeons, which weren’t quite as harrowing in broad daylight as they were at night, but depressing all the same. As they made their way to Rottie’s cell, Eggsy could make out Harry and Gawain’s figures standing opposite the bars, and two more Kingsmen who were not the same as the one Eggsy had first encountered guarding the prisoner. The king was the first to notice their approach, and he greeted them with a small, if apologetic, smile.

“Ah, Eggsy,” he said genially, blatantly ignoring the disdainful look Gawain gave him for using the- as he’d put it- ‘ridiculous’ nickname.

“Harry,” Eggsy replied, giving a tiny little smile of his own. He was relieved that Harry was still treating him the same, like a true gentleman. The prince came to a stop as soon as he was at Harry’s side, and then he cast a glance to the cell. Rottie was curled up in a little ball in the corner, his blankets huddled protectively around himself, though he seemed to relax marginally once he caught sight of Eggsy. He gave a warm smile to the prisoner, too. “Hello, Rottie.”

“Mmph,” he huffed in reply.

“We’re off to a marvelous start already,” commented Harry lightly. “He wouldn’t even grunt when we first came in.”

Gawain looked annoyed, so Eggsy grinned and let himself feel a little smug.

Harry took a tentative step forwards, so as not to frighten Rottie, much like one would do with a skittish animal- not that he had anywhere to run to.

“Now… Rottie, yes? I’m sure you know perfectly well by now our purpose for being here.” Rottie sent him a harsh glare, but to his credit, Harry didn’t react. “We have no intention of harming you. Prince Gary here has made it quite clear that anyone who damages your person would be answerable to him.”

At that, Rottie shifted, looking mildly uncomfortable as he cast the prince a weary once-over. Eggsy kept on his comforting smile. Rottie looked back at Harry.

“He’s a fuckin’ nutter, that one,” he croaked, throat raspy from sleep. He must have just awoken when Harry and Gawain arrived.

All the gathered Kingsmen flinched at the blatant disrespect the prisoner had just shown, but Eggsy only laughed, and Harry spared him an amused smirk.

“He’s unconventional, certainly,” he said in reply, “but he _is_ the one in your corner, so I’d advise you to watch what you say about him.”

Rottie sighed, gripping the blankets a little tighter. His gaze was focused on the cold stone floor in front of him.

“Why haven’t ya killed me yet?” he asked quietly.

“That wouldn’t help anyone,” admonished Harry. “Least of all you.”

“But I tried to kill the prince,” he retorted, jerking his chin in Eggsy’s direction.

“And he seems willing to forgive you. In fact, I myself might be persuaded to grant you leniency,” Harry paused as Rottie looked up sharply in awe, “so long as you give us what we need.”

Rottie scowled then. “Yeah, yeah. You want me boss’s name.”

“It would be most appreciated.”

“It ain’t gonna do you much good.”

“And why not?” Gawain spoke up for the first time, barely restraining a growl, which made Rottie shrink just a little into his nest of blankets.

“C-Cause it’s his business, y’know?” Rottie steeled himself with a deep breath. “We get hired to knock people off, but he’s the face of it all, gives us our assignments. I ain’t got a clue who really wanted the prince dead.”

A moment of silence followed Rottie’s revelation, as the information sank in to everyone. Eggsy felt himself tense with an almost immeasurable wave of anxiety; for now, instead of just having Rottie provide a name and have the whole affair done with, there was one more step added to the scheme, complicating it.

“I… see,” murmured Harry. He looked visibly disturbed.

“Surely you can tell us your employer’s name anyhow?” said Gawain. At least he looked serious, and was no longer intimidating Rottie just for the hell of it.

“I ain’t fuckin’ suicidal, mate!” Rottie all but shouted. “If I tell you his name, he’ll kill me!”

“Rottie,” Eggsy stepped forward, kneeling down to be at eye-level with him. “That won’t happen. We’ll make sure he never touches you.”

Rottie let out a distressed laugh. “You don’t know him. He’ll find a way. He’s fuckin’ ruthless.”

“I’m sure my Kingsmen can handle him,” drawled Gawain. “He’ll be under twenty-four hour supervision.”

“ _If_ you tell us his name,” added Harry, watching Rottie carefully.

“…” Rottie’s shoulder sagged. “You ain’t gonna get anythin’ out of him. He won’t blab.”

Eggsy tilted his head and smiled. “You let us worry about that, Rottie. Just tell us his name.”

Rottie stared at him, and then Harry, and then eventually Gawain, too. He was clearly weighing all his options in his head. They could only hope, now.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of silence, Rottie spoke up again, his voice barely above a whisper.

“It’s… It’s Dean. Dean Baker. That’s the bloke you want.”

Eggsy immediately relaxed, sending Rottie a brilliant beam that, curiously, made the prisoner flush and look away.

“Thank you, Rottie,” said Harry, who regarded the prisoner a touch more warmly than he had before. “We’ll be certain to make the most of this information.”

Rottie snorted. “Yeah, well, be quick about it. Otherwise I just signed me own death warrant.”

Harry bowed his head as Eggsy rose to his feet. “Of course. Thank you for your cooperation.”

Everyone with the exception of the cell guards all moved out from the dungeons, though no one said a word until they were back within the main palace. Then Harry turned to Gawain and ordered a search for ‘Dean Baker’, to which the captain nodded and quickly departed to begin.

Then the king’s attention was back on Eggsy.

“It seems your methods were very effective,” he praised, that small, fond smile lighting up his face.

Eggsy blushed, glancing downwards. “I’m glad you think so.”

“Now we can only wait until this Dean Baker is apprehended,” the king sighed.

“Yes…” Eggsy’s gaze flickered up to meet Harry’s, but neither could speak any more of the subject. After all, there wasn’t much _to_ say until the man was found and brought in.

The king cleared his throat, the noise cutting through the somewhat awkward silence. “Do you, ah, have any other plans today?”

Eggsy shook his head. “No. Lord Merlin is busy this evening, so I don’t have another lesson planned.”

“Ah. Well, then…” Harry relaxed, tension seeping out of his shoulders. “Would you mind, perhaps, accompanying me on some business?”

The prince raised an eyebrow. “What sort of business?”

“It’s related to the wedding,” he explained. “Andrew would like our input on the designs for our clothing…”

“Oh.” That wasn’t the ‘business’ the prince was expecting. He’d hardly been involved in the wedding at all since he arrived in Oxford, anyway, save for signing one document concerning supplies for the banquet afterwards. But while in his first few days, Eggsy definitely felt more than apprehensive about the affair, now all he felt was a pleasant warmth at being included- and also at the prospect of spending more time with his fiancé.

Harry held out his arm, as if to ask Eggsy again. He linked his arm through Harry’s after only a moment’s thought.

“Lead the way,” Eggsy smiled.

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEXT TIME: After a brief timeskip, Oxford welcomes a few honorable Broguian guests for the upcoming wedding. ;)

**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr is also persephoneggsy, if anyone's interested.


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